


Mind and Body

by AzureTiger



Series: Thundershield adventures [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: De-Serumed Steve Rogers, Hurt Steve Rogers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Not Thor: The Dark World Compliant, Protective Thor (Marvel), Sick Steve Rogers, Thor (Marvel) Feels, Thundershield - Freeform, thor is the best boyfriend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2019-09-07
Packaged: 2020-09-27 14:31:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 62,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20409334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AzureTiger/pseuds/AzureTiger
Summary: When Steve comes in contact with the Aether, it has devastating effects on his body. Thor struggles to take care of him as he gets sicker, the Convergence gets closer, and evil looms nearer. Steve's body is deteriorating, but Thor's heart isn't doing so good either.Basically, this roughly follows the plot of Thor: The Dark World. But... better, and with less Jane and more Steve.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the third installment of my thundershield series! You don't have to read the other two to follow this one, but they will be referenced, and the relationship is developing from there.
> 
> It has been requested that I turn up the angst, and I will try to provide! Usually, whatever I try for devolves into fluff, but we'll see how this goes. I am ALWAYS open and willing for feedback! I love it, and I love all the support I've gotten so far for this! I hope this will be at least as enjoyable as the other two stories. There will be art for this one as well! Working through the plot of this movie, as well as involving a de-powered Steve were both requested, so thank you for the ideas!
> 
> I won't be as fast to update this one since university is starting soon, but I'll do my best to be regular! You can follow me on tumblr--> https://stormyandrescuer.tumblr.com/
> 
> Let's get started!

“Easy, Steve, relax.” Nat squeezed his hands and led him back a step, then forward. “A little faster now, you can do it.”

Steve couldn’t explain why dancing was so difficult for him. Once he found his rhythm, he was fine, but getting there? That was tough. He’d struggled to loosen up with Thor, but that was different, and a long time ago. Months. Since their first dance in a cell on Sakaar, they had danced many times, including  in  the halls of Asgard. That had been like a dream.

They hadn’t danced in ages. Steve missed it. And he was determined to be a better partner. Natasha had been the obvious person to ask for help on that front. He knew she used to be a dancer, but on top of that, was fully aware of his relationship with the demi-god. The other s had probably figured it out by now, but Natasha was the only one he’d admitted it to.

“Where did you learn to dance like this?” Steve asked as she spun him around in the middle of his suite. “I thought the Red Room only taught you ballet.” Not that he’d expected her to teach him ballet...

Natasha smile d and spun him under her arm again, leading him through the move and then inviting him to spin her back. He did, and she gracefully followed through.

“I learned ballet in the Red Room,” Natasha confirmed, taking his hands and stepping back, then forward with a little hop and swing of her hips. “But I learned all kinds of dance for the purpose of missions. It’s a good way to seduce a male target.”

She was smirking, her eyebrow twitching flirtatiously, fully aware of Steve’s  naivety . Steve blushed. “Yeah, I guess that would be handy.”

“It was,” Natasha agreed, releasing one of his hands and turning away, then turning back and tugging him close. “Come on, Steve, relax. Maybe you can get away  with being  all stiff like that for a slow dance , but you can’t swing with your muscles clenched. Relax.”

“Sorry,” Steve tried to follow her movements. He knew his body could handle the movements, memorize them instantly. It was still a struggle to let the rhythm guide him though, take control and  _ become _ his instincts.

“So, when are you going to come out and tell everyone?” Natasha smiled at him with raised eyebrows and a glint in her eyes. Steve felt his face burning up and stumbled  with the next move his friend led him into. She laughed. “You don’t have to, Steve. It’s your business. But you  _ can _ tell us, you know. Tony and Clint will tease you endlessly, but we’ll all support you. Things are different than they were in the forties.” There was some sympathy there.

“Oh... oh that’s not...” Steve bit his lip. “I wasn’t worried about that. Just... the team.”

“You’re worried about how your relationship will affect  it ,” Natasha inferred, lacing their fingers and leading him in spins around the room. “If you want my opinion, I think it’s made the Avengers stronger. You’re better for it, Steve. I didn’t know you long before you and Thor fell through that portal, but I’m a spy. I’m good at reading people. You went in a bit stiff and detached, and you came back happier. Since then all you’ve done is get looser and brighter. Thor too. You’re good for each other.”

Steve’s blush faded from mortified to gently pleased. He smiled back, falling into step with her. “I guess you’re right... it’s just general policy not to have  office relationships, you know? If something goes wrong...”

“Steve, this is not an office,” Natasha chuckled, half teasing and half serious. “If you’re worried about your relationship getting in the way of the team, don’t. We’re a family. We can all be used against each other  with or without romantic involvements between members . If we were both captured, I would have a hard time picking the greater good over saving you if it came down to that. We all want to protect each other in battle,  but Thor respects your strength enough not to hover. I’ve never seen your relationship impede either of you in a fight.”

Steve sighed, his next step a little more hesitant. He struggled to fall in-step with the rhythm again, trying to mirror Natasha’s movements as he watched her feet. “Good... that’s good. That’s the last thing I’d want, if someone were to get hurt because we were distracting each other.”

“Steve,” Natasha slowed to a stop and peered into his eyes with a sad smile. “Steve, everyone will support this, okay? You’re  _ good _ for each other.”

Steve returned her smile with a hesitant one of his own. She was right . “Thanks Nat.”

“Knock his socks off, Steve,” she grinned back with more confidence and reached over to shut off the music.

“I’m not sure I’m good enough,” Steve replied with a wince. “You’re a good teacher... but Thor’s an  _ amazing _ dancer, Nat.”

“And you could be too if you just relaxed,” she smacked his arm. “Have a little confidence in yourself.”

“I’ll try,” Steve ruffled his hair nervously.

“He’ll love it, I promise. You can do no wrong in his eyes,” Natasha picked up her jacket and slipped it on. She left with a sisterly touch to his arm and shut the door behind her.

Steve stood in the middle of the room, enjoying the quiet of his suite. Thor was on Asgard right now, taking care of some things. He’d been gone for a week, and should be back tonight. That had given Steve plenty of time to learn some new dances from Natasha.

He’d been thinking a lot about his relationship with the demi-god, about warm nights spent entangled in bed together. Thor liked to run his fingers through Steve’s hair, to touch his face and neck. Steve liked to get his hands around the demi-god's arms, trace the grooves of his flexing muscles and work his way inward to the trench between his pecs. He liked the feel of Thor’s beard under his fingers, of  laying flat on his back while the prince leaned over him and kissed him into the pillows and tickled his skin with his cascades of golden hair.

He loved their time spent in the gym, exchanging blows too fast and too powerful for a normal human to keep up with. He loved  his time spent on the lounge chaise in Thor’s room drawing while the prince sprawled on the floor reading a good mystery book (the demi-god loved Nancy Drew – who'd have thought?) or made them some lunch (he was a decent cook... how had Steve gotten this lucky?). He loved playing video games up in the common area, and flying over the city late at night tucked up against Thor’s warm chest.

Thor brought him safety, security, and just the right level of predictability. Thor was fifteen-hundred years old.  Stev e would always worry – Thor was not immortal – but the god was so strong that Steve wouldn’t lose any sleep over  the risks of  losing him. In their line of work, their lives were always a risk, but Thor brushed off most attacks. He got hurt sometimes, and they’d encountered some close calls on  Sakaar and on their mission to reclaim the Tesseract, but Thor never cut it close like the others had, like Steve himself had. It was a little strange being the weaker of the two,  ( not that Steve was weak by any means ) .  H e kind of liked it. Thor was protective, but not overbearing. He understood Steve’s need to be independent and strong. He had no qualms with beating Steve when they sparred in the gym though. Steve didn’t mind either. Sparring with the demi-god was a chance to push himself as far as he could go without fear of killing or hurting his friend. It was a chance to rely  entirely  on skill instead of strength . And Thor himself was forced to pick up the pace too. The demi-god had grown significantly more patient and relaxed since moving in to the tower.

Natasha was right: they were good together.

Steve smiled to himself and went to get showered and changed. He was happy as he’d never thought he could be, with a team that was like family, and a space-prince for a boyfriend.

_Boyfriend... I suppose that’s the term.__ It’s what we are..._ Steve shaved, delicately dragging the blade down his jaw. Funny what you learned about yourself later in life... Peggy had been his first love, and he’d never had eyes for anyone else since then, let alone a man. _Is Thor really a man, though? He’s... more._

_ He’s a friend. _

Thor was indeed a very dear friend. He’d been a friend before anything else, a lighthouse in the hurricane of his life, helping him find a direction. Thor was his pillar in this new time, helping him enjoy and belong in a world that had left him behind. He was catching up.

Thor cared about him in ways no-one else understood. He was gentle where Steve needed him to be, tending his wounds and making sure the soldier knew he was still human. After a battle, Bruce rarely needed to get involved, leaving the prince to handle anything that needed handling from start to finish. Actually, the doctor hadn’t seen to any part of dressing Steve’s wounds after their battles since the Captain’s incident with the collapsed building two months ago. Usually, all he needed was a simple  dressing  or two, but Thor was so good at applying them and always took his time. Bruce had taught him just about everything he could, and often times when he was done with Steve, the demi-god would go and help the doctor with the others if it was needed.

Steve didn’t mind sharing. He wanted the other to experience how gentle and perceptive Thor was. The prince had done stitches for Natasha after one particularly rough battle and she’d plopped heavily on the couch beside Steve when they’d all gathered for a team dinner, smacking his arm. “You lucky bastard,” she heaved. “You get that all the time?”

“Mm hmm,” Steve had smiled back, pink with pride. “He did a good job?”

“He’s amazing,” Natasha had breathed back, lifting her shirt and showing him the impeccable line of stitches Thor had applied. Steve had grinned and nodded. He was indeed luck y to get Thor’s gentle touch all the time. It made  seeking and enduring treatment a whole lot easier. Steve hated hospital, hated SHIELD doctor, or any doctors for that matter, touching him and regarding him with clinical calm and detached reassurances.

Steve wiped his face clean and ran a hand along his smooth jaw , observing his face in the mirror. It looked the way he was used to, strong and alive, his eyes bright and his stare sharp. Thor loved to run his thumb along his strong eyebrows and down the bridge of his nose. He could almost feel that touch as his eyes roamed along the path.

“Captain Rogers, Sir is requesting the team to gather at the jet. He has urgent news.” JARVIS’s calm voice resonated from nowhere, and Steve turned around as if expecting a person . He would never get used to that floating voice...

“Good, tell him I’ll be there in three minutes,” Steve replied and ran to his closet for his suit. He was right on time, racing into the hangar to meet the rest of the team.

Tony wasn’t wearing his armor, but the case at his side looked suspicious. Bruce was dressed in a warm jacket, a duffel bag in one hand. Clint and Natasha appeared, dressed in their usual gear, and made straight for the cockpit. 

“Okay gang, we’re headed to London,” Tony explained as everyone else piled into the jet. “I just got a call from Jane Foster.  She found something and thinks we should take a look at it.”

“Jane Foster, as in Thor’s girlfriend?” Clint peered around from the pilot’s seat.

“Ex-girlfriend,” Natasha calmly corrected. “She’s an astrophysicist.”

“Then why did she call you?” Bruce frowned at Tony as he strapped himself into a seat. His frown deepened. “I didn’t know she had your number.”

“She didn’t tell me much,” Tony shrugged, setting down his case and doing up his seatbelt. “And she didn’t. She called the company and worked her way to Pepper, who put her through to me.”

“Smart...” Bruce murmured.

“As to why she called me? Apart from being a genius, I’m not sure,” Tony folded his arms over his chest and tapped his fingers on his arm , clearly infuriated that he didn’t have more information and trying to put a few sparse pieces together himself.

“Did she give you many details?” Steve asked curiously. He was equally curious to meet Jane Foster. She’d seen Thor through a tough patch of his life. The god didn’t talk about her much, but he clearly had a lot of respect for her. The Captain didn’t even feel jealous, not in the least; Thor didn’t seem like the type to keep his fingers in more than one pie, so-to-speak. Maybe he’d been frivolous earlier in life, but he wasn’t now. Steve didn’t get that impression from the prince at all.

Tony shook his head. “All she told me was that someone needed to see what she’d found, and the best person she could think to call was me. I told her I wasn’t an expert on her field of research, but she said she didn’t care.”

Steve nodded slowly as he processed the information with a serious stare. He rubbed his jaw. That wasn’t much to work with. “She called you instead of the authorities. That means she might not want SHIELD involved, or the police.”

Tony jabbed a conclusive finger at him, blinking with revelation. “Yes. She asked me what type of equipment I had.”

“So here I am, with every type of scanner we could find,” Bruce whined tiredly.

“ Oh come on, don’t pretend you’re not at least a little excited,” Tony patted his friend on the shoulder. The engineer certainly seemed buzzed, if not a little apprehensive. There were too many uncertainties here.

“That’s all great, but how do the Brits feel about us paying them a visit?” Steve raised an eyebrow at Tony. “The Avengers can’t just jump between borders as we like just because we stopped some aliens once.”

“Spoil-sport,” Tony scoffed. Steve frowned at him. “Well, luckily Stark Industries was able to grab the attention of some off-shore shareholders and stir up their interest in some new energy technology. I’ve got a meeting scheduled as soon as we land. Jane said to meet her at this address.” And he handed Steve a piece of paper with some number s scrawled on it.

Steve memorized the numbers and tucked them away in his uniform. “I guess I overdressed...”

\--

They touched down in Heathrow airport in the middle of the day, dressed in civilian clothing. Steve donned a cap and sunglasses, leaving his shield and uniform behind. 

“Just texted Jane to let her know you guys are on your way. I’ll meet up when I’m done,” Tony nodded at Steve and held up his phone in one hand and his case in the other. “I’m a text away if something goes wrong.”

“Thanks Tony,” Steve smiled. “I’m sure we’ll be fine. Have fun.”

The inventor straightened his tie. “Be careful.”

“We’re just looking at data,” Steve shrugged. “I should be more worried about you.”

Tony batted a hand. “Oh please, I can handle those bastards. Might walk away  with  a few million in my pocket. Or, I guess it’s Pepper’s pocket now.”

Steve laughed and they split up, Tony getting into a private limo while the others hunted down a taxi. This was going to be interesting... most of all because  Steve would likely have no idea what was going on. He gave the driver the address Tony had given him and sat up in the front while the other three Avengers piled in the back. He was about to meet one of the smartest people in the world,  and much science would be talked.

_ Come on, confidence Rogers. You’ve hung around Tony and Bruce long enough to learn a thing or two. Besides, Nat and Clint will be there. They’ll probably be just as lost as me if things get crazy.  _ Steve swallowed and stared out the window of the black cab. There was a reassuring blend of new and old here. Street lights and sky scrapers were partnered with hundred-year-old brick and narrow, cobbled streets. It felt homey. He’d been to England a couple of times during the war. Steve smiled and tried not to think about the woman he was about to meet, instead enjoying a few buildings he recognized that were still standing.

The ride was long, given the serious traffic that continually lurched the cab to a stop, but that was nothing alien. Finally, they arrived at their destination and Steve paid the driver with money Tony had given him. He got out with the others and led them up to the door, knocking abruptly.

They were greeted by a slender woman of small stature, long brown hair cascading over graceful shoulders. She was beautiful, curious eyes peering between the four people on her doorstep. Steve thought he saw a hint of disappointment there. “Hello?”

Steve glanced around and took off his hat and sunglasses, offering her a gentlemanly smile. “Hi, Miss Foster? We’re friends of Tony Stark. He let you know we were on our way.”

“Oh... oh.” the woman blinked and stepped aside , realization dawning on her features as she processed who was on her doorstep. She was admirably calm about it . “Yeah, he did. Come in! Is he coming?”

Steve stepped inside and slid off his shoes, hanging up his jacket and leaving room for the others. “He is. He’s just... working his cover. I’m Steve,” he offered his hand to shake, “and this is Natasha, Clint, and Bruce Banner.”

“Doctor Banner...” the woman’s eyes lit up as she shook Steve’s hand, pulling away to shake the doctor’s next. “Jane Foster. It’s a pleasure.” It was a little relieving to meet someone more interested in Dr. Banner than Captain America. Steve didn’t like the spotlight or the attention. He was happy to hang back.

“Likewise,” Bruce smiled back, adjusting his grip on his duffel bag.  He seemed pleasantly surprised by the preference too, though a little shy and hesitant as usual.

“Come in,” Jane invited. “But don’t get too comfortable. This... won’t be easy to explain. I’ll have to show you.” She led them through the landing and into a small kitchen.

Bruce set down his bag with the shoes and hurried after her. “It must be big to fly the Avengers  across the pond...”

“It is, trust me,” Janes gave him a serious nod and led them to the dining table. It was covered in maps and notes and equipment. Steve stared at it mutely and tried to make any sense of it, though he knew that was being unfair to himself; if someone were there to explain it to him, he knew he’d be able to understand.

Still, the Captain hung back with the spies to watch and listen as Banner put on his glasses to look at a home-made  scanner she was handing him. “These are...”

“Anomalies,” Janes agreed. “That’s so far all I can come up with to describe them . It’d be better to show you, really. These readings don’t explain what’s going on.”

Bruce nodded and  hung his glasses in his shirt. “Then let’s go.”

Jane pulled on a jacket and tucked her scanner into it, following everyone out of the house and into the street. It was a bit tough to squeeze all five of them into the doctor’s little red van, but they managed. Steve squeezed in the middle of the back seat with Clint and Natasha on either side and Bruce in the front with Jane. They took off into London’s streets once more, but this time the journey was much shorter. Where they ended up definitely didn’t look like it was public access. Jane parked the car and hopped out, pulling out her scanner and leading the way around the corner. She didn’t concern herself too much with fencing and signs as she led the way into a desolate compound, toward a large and dilapidated building.

Bruce kept pace with the woman while Steve held just a few paces behind, the spies on his tail, eyes peeled for signs of danger. So far, the landscape was quiet – too quiet – and uninhabited save for a few pigeons pecking as bits of trash. A handful of leaves billowed past, the  sky above grey and ominous.

The weather certainly matched how he felt. Steve couldn’t shake a deep sense that something was wrong. This didn’t feel right, but he had to admit he was curious why the Avengers needed to fly all the way to London instead of just looking at pictures or a video. He would soon find out exactly why. Jane led them into the empty building and into a large open space on the first floor, where sat an abandoned truck. The group hung back as the woman walked up to it. She glanced back at them and gently placed her finger under the bumper.

Everyone watched in stunned silence as Jane’s single finger lifted the huge truck off the ground. She nudged it and it floated in mid-air ,  sp inning in a slow circle. Bruce slowly pulled one of his own scanners out of his bag and held it up, squinting at the readings, then back at the floating truck. 

Clint broke free of his trance next, walking cautiously over to the hovering truck and pushing gently against the back wheel. The vehicle turned  a few degrees ,  then crashed to the ground loudly. The arche r jumped back. “What the hell...”

“Anomalies.” Jane turned to Bruce. “I’m not sure what to make of this, but I’m working on it. I’ve been tracking these signals for a few months now. I could use a few more brains on it. Doctor Selvig is here too.”

“Selvig?” Clint’s head snapped up, recognition in his eyes. Sympathy struck Steve in the chest as he recalled the time those two had shared under Loki’s control. Last he’d heard, Clint had come out a lot better than the doctor had.

“I live with him and my intern, Darcy,” Jane nodded. “Come on, there’s one more thing I need to show you.” She turned on her heel and hurried to a set of concrete stairs. Everyone followed, Bruce hefting his bag over his shoulder and Steve taking the rear.

No-one could think of anything to say, least of all Steve.  _ I wish Thor were here. _ He’d know what to ask. Sure, since waking in the future and fighting an army of aliens from outer-space there was a much longer list of things that no longer fazed him, but what was happening here definitely wasn’t normal. He didn’t know what to make of it. But Thor would. He’d know where to look for answers if he didn’t have them himself, and he would calmly assess the situation. Nothing really freaked the guy out.

_ Tony would know what to do, too, _ Steve thought as he climbed the stairs after his friends. At least Banner was here, thoughtfully collecting what data he could, his expression concerned as he visibly processed the information. Bruce was fiddling with the scanner in his hand as he juggled with his bag of supplies. The Captain hopped up a few extra steps and eased the bag off the smaller man’s shoulders, shrugging the strap over his own. The doctor thanked him with a small nod and continued on unhindered.

A breeze swept at his back, rippli ng hi s shirt and jacket against his tingling skin. Cold fingers of warning galloped their way up his spine, and he shivered, searching the building as they kept walking, higher and higher. There was still nothing, just the five of them. Steve stepped up beside Natasha and nudged her hand with his wrist. She looked up at him with the same worry in her eyes that he was feeling.

“Something’s wrong,” she whispered and he nodded.

“Not sure what,” he agreed, and they both shot stares at Clint. The archer was searching with his infamous eyes, unsatisfied with the serenity. He caught them staring and fell back a little.

“Eyes open,” Steve murmured, and Clint gave him a curt salute and a nod, one hand reaching into his coat were his gun was concealed. Natasha did the same, and they fanned out around the two scientists as Jane stopped them on a balcony looking down all the way to the bottom floor, Bruce at her side. Steve set down the bag.

Jane didn’t need to ask them to look as she picked a chunk of splintered wood off the floor and tossed it over the worn metal railing. It fell several feet before disappearing through a small ripple in the air. Steve heard Bruce’s breath hitch in his throat as he gathered some more readings. The wood reappeared above, emerging from thin air and dropping back down past the mesmerized group where it vanished again.

The wood dropped past them once, twice, three times before Janes reached out and caught it, turning to the group for their thoughts and opinions. “Anomalies,” she repeated quietly.

Steve swallowed and padded over, at a loss for words as he peered over the railing, hoping his enhanced sight might be able to pick something up. All he could see was air, and the floor below. He looked up, but there was nothing there either. Just gloomy sky casting dull light through a hole in the ceiling. The Captain stepped back and let the scientists do their work.

“This is... we’re going to need some more data,” Bruce breathed as that cold wind clawed at Steve’s spine again.

“Here,” Jane handed her scanner to the other doctor, “see what you can do with this, we can switch.” And she swapped it for his.

Natasha’s hand on Steve’s shoulder made him jump. “Steve... you okay?”

He looked down at her concerned face, but her eyes were darting back at  forth warily. Steve’s jaw pushed forward. “I’m going to have a look around,” he whispered. “Keep an eye on them.” He looked up at Barton.

“Yell if you find something,” the archer nodded.

“Be careful,” Natasha warned.

Steve agreed and slipped away, treading silently on the dirty floor. Whatever was eating him, he had to find it before it found them. Iron Man’s HUD would have come in handy right about now... or just an infrared scanner. Maybe Banner had one in his bag.  _ Oh well, too late to bother. If someone’s here and watching us, they already know I’m looking, which means they’ll  _ _ run away  _ _ or attack.  _ Steve kept his hands at his sides, exposed and ready just in case, wishing he had his shield. He always felt safer with it on his back.

A soft breeze swept around his  ankles and caressed his shoulders, nudging him forward into the shadows. Steve rounded the corner, light on his feet. The wind was getting stronger, and it wasn’t coming from outside, not the way it was moving through this enclosed space... 

Something cold and strong wrapped around his ankles. Steve looked down, alarmed, but saw nothing. A voice whispered in his ear, but he heard no words. Icy intensions pierced his heart, searching and finding whatever it was that it wanted, and before he could even cry out the force on his ankles pulled. It was as is the breeze itself was dragging him, trailing him along the hallway in a flurry of dead leaves and dirt. Steve flailed his arms for a hand-hold and nearly managed to wrap his fingers around a railing as it passed by, but before he could, the air in front of him rippled and swallowed him.

His bulk lurched to a stop, teetering over the edge of a dark precipice. Steve stumbled backward and clutched his heart, catching his breath.  _ No more portals, please no more portals... _

W hatever he’d traveled through couldn’t be anything else . Steve hitched a desperate breath, bending his knees a little for stability and taking a quick survey of the space around him. It was very dark, blackness swallowing everything in all directions beyond a small visible radius. He could just make out huge, rectangular pillars made of stone, washed in a dull swampy green light. His feet were planted on a walkway of sorts, and he turned to see where it led.

Straight ahead was another pillar, split horizontally to leave a thin space. How the pillar was staying up, seemingly hovering, Steve didn’t know. A wet red light glimmered in between, swirling and rippling like blood between the sections of stone. Whispers floated through his ears, soaking into his brain and making his ears ring.

“Thor...?” his voice was calling out without thinking. It was the best he could do. There was no-one here. Steve walked slowly toward the red light, but even as the hissing grew louder, deafening even, he couldn’t stop his feet from carrying him closer.

A little voice spoke to him, willing him to stop. He did, fighting for immobility. Steve held his breath, fighting and straining to stay put as his will fought the foreign one.

His arm lifted without his permission, fingers brushing the stone pillar – since when had he been close enough to touch it? - and reaching between the gap.  _ No, get away! Don’t touch it! _ Something rational yelled. He tried, fought, but it was too late. The red fluid was bunching, then leaping forward with a triumphant whisper. It slithered around his index finger, wrapped itself around his wrist, then plunged under his skin.

The trance was broken. Pain shot through his veins for just a moment, and Steve leapt back with a yelp, stumbling over his feet and falling on his rear with a thud. He scratched at his wrists, watching a red glow fade into his skin. The sliced pillar collapsed, closing the gap with an eerie, booming thud. Steve jolted and scanned the area fearfully, pushing back with his legs. This had to be a dream, it had to be... He’d wake up in bed, sweaty and shaking, with Thor wrapped around him. It had been a while since he’d had a bad dream, so it was about time, right?

Right?

_ Please let this be a dream... _ Steve staggered to his feet, feeling dizzy and weak. He clutched his head and fought for balance, stepping backward a few paces before a crippling agony burned through his entire body and brought him to his knees with a piercing cry he couldn’t hope to subdue. The pain seemed to go on forever, and he clutched his pulsing head, whimpering uncontrollably as his body seized.

Finally it passed. Steve moaned softly and picked himself up, coughing pathetically and swaying a little. He wiped his eyes, pushed up his sleeves and desperately searched his forearms. His skin was just as soft and pale as always, unblemished. His vision swam dangerously, and Steve fumbled for a handhold despite knowing there were none. He was out before he hit the ground.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drawing is hard. I intended to make something a little more exciting, but my hand would not cooperate. So you get cute instead.

When Steve opened his eyes, he was on his back, cold cement pressing into his shoulders. A cool draft brushed across his body, and a passing leaf tickled his hand. He twitched his fingers, slowly flexed his muscles from top to bottom as he did inventory on himself. Everything seemed to be working, and he couldn’t sense any injuries. 

Steve slowly lifted his head off the floor and immediately grasped it, stabilizing it against a headache and nausea as he sat all the way up. He let out a low groan and peered down at himself. He was a little dirty, but unscathed, lying in the same building he’d just been running around in. 

Which meant... could it have been a dream? Steve let go of his head and looked at his arms, searching for the red pulse under his skin, but finding nothing out of the ordinary. He looked up to see a darker sky, thick with brooding clouds. Another gust sent chills through his spine, and he wrapped his arms tightly around his chest. A cough pushed out his throat, shaking him to the core. Something didn’t feel right. 

Whatever had happened, it was over, real or a dream. He had to find his friends, make sure they were okay. Steve pushed his feet under him and collapsed sideways against the wall, straining for breath. Okay, maybe it wasn’t a dream... A dream would never leave him feeling this weak, regardless of how serious it was. He coughed again, squeezing his eyes shut until it passed. _ God... what the hell... _

He felt a little better now. Steve clutched his chest and staggered forward, finding his balance and stability after a few shaky steps. Then, he broke into a run. 

Steve only made it a few steps before another cough crawled up his throat and stole his breath away. Hacking, he stumbled and tripped, falling unceremoniously to his knees. His hand scraped on the rough ground as he did so, drawing blood. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t get air into his lungs. It was a familiar sensation. 

Asthma. 

_ Can’t be, _ Steve shook his head in denial, shuffling on his knees, watery eyes searching for the wall. He found it, and pushed his shoulders against the cold surface, fighting for breath. Shit, it felt so much like asthma... 

“Steve!” someone was shouting in a deep voice that rumbled inside his bones and sent tremors through his heart. “Steven!” 

“Steve!” another voice, familiar as well. “Come on, Cap, now’s not the time to play hide-and-go-seek!” 

Other calls rang through the building, some close by, others farther away. _ Should answer... what do they need me for? Is everyone okay? _Steve managed to get his breathing under control, shoving his legs underneath himself and pushing up the wall. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. 

“Steve...” the sound was a little quieter, hushed but urgent, and closer. He looked up and the sight of soft red fabric and golden hair sent shivers of relief and warmth through his body. He was safe. Thor rushed to him, setting down Mjolnir and wrapping him in a tight hug, kissing the top of his head and burying his face in his hair. Steve slumped into him, too overwhelmed to say anything, and too confused to try. 

\-- 

When Heimdall had looked for Steve, the Captain had been hidden. Thor had waited at his side, ready to return to Earth and to his friends, but the person he most looked forward to seeing was invisible. 

Thor had stood there, eyes wide with worry. “Where is Tony Stark? My other friends?” 

Heimdall had stared into space, scanning the innumerous souls under his watch, while his prince thrummed anxiously at his side. “They are gathered, searching. I will send you to them.” 

Thor had gripped Mjolnir tightly and plunged into the blast of rainbow light, dropping down to Earth and landing a few short feet away from the Avengers, and from Jane. They all looked up as he appeared, worry in their faces, but not for him. 

“Where is he?” the prince rushed over, grasping Tony by the shoulder. “Where is he!” 

“We’re not sure,” Tony shook his head. “I just got here. I was about to put on my suit and scan for him.” 

“I _ have _ been scanning for him,” Banner approached, holding up a small device. “And I can’t find anything. No heat signatures, nothing. So either he ended up somewhere that blocks these types of waves, or...” 

“He’s not gone,” Tony set his jaw. “He can’t have just vanished like that.” 

“He could have,” Jane whispered, walking over to Thor and placing her hand on his wrist. She was just as beautiful as he remembered, that bright light he’d come to admire shining away in her intelligent eyes. “Thor, he could have. Come on, I have to show you something.” 

The prince trembled but obeyed, jogging lightly after her, his cape billowing out behind. _ No, Steven, where are you? Why can Heimdall not see you? I leave you alone for but a week and you manage to find yourself in a predicament... _ He prayed that this was a mistake, that Steve would march around the corner and demand what all the fuss was about. He didn’t. Jane simply led him into a dilapidated building and up some stairs, guiding him to some worn metal railings and picking up a piece of debris. Then she tossed it over the side and it fell for a few seconds before completely disappearing. 

Thor stepped back, watched with wide eyes as the object reappeared above and fell back down, only to vanish once more. _ Steven... _ “He could not have...” 

“It would explain why I can’t find him on my scanners.” Iron Man appeared at his side, the faceplate glowing softly blue as Tony turned his head left and right in search of life signs. “We’ll keep looking.” 

“Thor...” he looked down to Jane as she wrapped small fingers around his wrists, worried and confused. He hadn’t seen her in two years. She looked the same as he remembered, lively and inquisitive. Healthy. That at least was some relief. Regardless of their failed relationship, she was still a dear friend. 

He wasn’t sure what to say to her, how to even begin to explain, but she deserved _ some _ _ thing _ . Thor set down Mjolnir and pulled her into a gentle hug. “I am glad you are well,” he said quietly. _ I wish I could stop to talk, but I cannot. _

She seemed to understand, pulling away and smiling understandingly at him. “We can talk later,” she insisted. “Go look for your friend. I’ll do what I can to help.” 

“Thank you,” Thor gave her an apologetic smile. 

The group split up. Clint and Natasha hurried down to the lower levels to see what they could find, Jane in tow. Their calls drifted through the empty building, eerie and unreturned. Thor started on their current floor, leaving no corridor, no dark corner scrutinized. Tony went the other direction, and Bruce went up. Together, they scoured the building, calling and shouting and pleading for their Captain to respond. 

Thor heard the cough before Tony found the heat signature. The demi-god was already racing toward the sound before the dull hum of Iron Man’s repulsors heralded his pursuit. They didn’t have far to go. 

There was Steve, pale and breathless, leaning on a wall for support, but whole. Thor left his hammer behind, and rushed over. “Steve...” He looked shaken and scuffed, one hand scraped and bloody as he collapsed forward into the prince’s embrace. Thor pushed his hand between Steve’s shoulders and felt his heart beat, holding the shivering Captain tightly. That heartbeat didn’t feel quite as sturdy as usual, uneven and rapid. 

Iron Man jogged up behind, unfolding to let Tony out of his shell. The inventor hurried over, but kept his distance, peering with concern at the soldier. “Hey, Steve... where were you?” 

Steve pulled back, but kept one arm locked around Thor’s forearm, hunched and unstable. “I... don’t know.” 

“You don’t look so good,” Tony frowned, backing up to his suit and stepping into it. The casing swallowed him, and the face plate lit up. “Your heart rate is all over the place big guy... we should get back to the jet. The others are really worried. You were gone for hours.” 

“Hours...?” Steve paled. Thor looped one arm through his and picked up his hammer, leading him after the inventor. 

“I only just arrived,” Thor replied quietly. “But when Heimdall looked for you, he could not see you. Neither could Iron Man’s computers. I came as quickly as I could.” 

Steve recovered a little, pulling away and walking on his own. He still looked... _ wrong, _ but unharmed at the very least. He came back to himself, following along quietly back to the others. The Avengers gathered and clustered around their leader, Natasha taking his hand and searching his face while he smiled reassuringly a them. 

“Sorry, guys, I’m not sure what happened,” Steve rubbed his head bashfully. “Didn’t mean to scare you.” 

“We should go back to the jet,” Bruce approached, asking for permission with his eyes before waving his scanner up and down the Captain’s body. “Are you sure you’re okay? Have Thor check you over.” 

“I’m fine,” Steve assured, his eyes darting up to meet Thor’s. The prince squeezed his shoulder warmly. 

“I will ensure the Captain is well,” Thor agreed. “What of your observations, Banner? Jane?” 

“I need to get back to my lab,” Bruce explained, looking over at the astrophysicist. “Could you send your information to Tony? We’ll analyze it with our equipment and let you know what we find.” 

Thor listened, watched them peer over electronic devices and ponder results. He knew what this was, what was happening. What was _ coming. _ It wasn’t devastating, but it was possibly dangerous. He smiled with pride as he regarded his mortal friends. They did not know it, but they had stumbled upon an extremely rare occurrence. 

“Everybody back on board!” Tony waved his fingers in the air as Iron Man collapsed back into a case shape. The inventor picked it up and led the way out of the area and to a black van parked around the corner. 

Thor turned to face Steve, immediately alarmed at how distant his friend looked. He was staring off into space, distracted. Thor kept a steady grip on his arm and shook him gently. The Captain blinked himself into awareness as the others followed after Tony. He watched them go in silence. 

“Steven... we should go,” Thor suggested quietly. “Come on. Is something wrong?” Steve didn’t answer, not with words anyway. He just put one foot in front of the other to follow after their team. 

Jane followed, sliding up to Thor’s other side. “You’re going...” she murmured, looking up at him with restrained disappointment. 

“I must,” Thor nodded, apology in his stare. _ I cannot leave Steven. He has not released my arm, which can only mean he is too distracted to care. Despite his improvements _ _ these last few months _ _ , he is still stubborn and proud. _They weren’t so different. Thor was resistant toward receiving help, too. 

“I understand...” Janes nodded faintly. “Be careful.” 

“Likewise,” he replied. “Stay away from here, Jane. It is dangerous. What you have shown us is not something for mortals to trifle with. You are a dear friend. If you were to be lost in those strange portals I would not be able to forgive myself.” 

Jane smiled sadly and stopped beside the van. “I’ll keep my distance,” she agreed, and Thor wondered if that was the truth. She was naturally curious, too brilliant and driven to leave something like this alone without a fight. 

“Be safe,” Thor squeezed her hand and led Steve into the car. The door closed and they pulled away, leaving Jane alone on the curb. He couldn’t pretend he wasn’t a little guilty. She deserved more than that, a surprise visit after two years of nothing. But they weren’t together, and Steve needed him. Steve, who was still clutching his arm as if he hadn’t noticed that he was. 

The ride to the jet was quiet. Tony many idle conversation with the driver while everyone else twiddled their thumbs and tried not to stare at Steve while also discerning if he was okay. He didn’t look it. He looked genuinely shaken, and for Steve that was something. Thor didn’t pull his hand away, and instead quietly rested it on the Captain’s knee. The silence persisted, chewing at the air until they were left gasping for the sound of the jet’s engines just outside. Everyone piled out of the van and boarded, strapping into their usual seat for the long ride home. 

Thor let his battle adornments fade from his armor, sitting quietly beside Steve and doing up his seat belt. The Captain finally turned and looked him right in the eyes, his stare clear and purposeful. 

“I found something in there...” he started, casting Tony and Bruce a glance as well. He looked over and Natasha and Clint where they sat in the cockpit, backs turned, but the Widow turned her head a little to make brief eye contact with Steve and let him know she was listening. 

“Yeah, Cap, where were you?” Tony asked, fighting to keep worry out of his voice and stay calm. He was doing a poor job, and Thor didn’t blame him. Steve had literally vanished off the face of the Earth, apparently for hours. 

Steve seemed to have settled a little, though, leaning back in his seat with a tired sigh. “I don’t know, but it wasn’t Earth. I think... I think I went through one of those portal things, like the piece of wood.” 

Bruce was frowning, clearly trying to form some kind of explanation with the data he had. He wasn’t getting very far. “What did you see?” the doctor inquired, sympathetic eyes searching the Captain’s. 

“I... it was dark,” Steve started, gripping his knee with one hand. Thor silently reached out and wrapped his fingers around his bicep. “Very dark... There were... pillars, or something. All around. I was standing on a walkway, and there was this... red liquid. It was like it was talking to me. I think it... went... inside of me.” 

Thor blinked. He could guess with near certainty what was going on with these rifts between worlds, but he had no idea what Steve was talking about. The Captain didn’t appear comfortable sharing much more, clutching his hand to his chest protectively; it was probably where the liquid had gone into him. 

Banner had immediately reached down for another scanner, and Tony had grabbed Iron Man’s helmet. Together the scientists swept Steve, and Thor held his grip. The air was tense, Steve’s hoarse breathing deafening. 

“You’re tachycardic,” Bruce lowered his scanner first, brow furrowed with mild concern, but unalarmed. “Your blood pressure is a little low, and your temperature is slightly warm, but other than that I’m not picking up anything. Nothing to be concerned about, anyway.” 

“Same here,” Tony took off his helmet and put it on the floor between his feet. “Are you sure it wasn’t a dream, Steve?” 

“It wasn’t,” Steve bit back in a low voice. “It wasn’t, Tony, it was too real. I can feel it in me.” 

“Right now?” Thor asked, gently taking hold of Steve’s wrist to inspect his hand. He couldn’t see anything immediately visible out of the ordinary, other than the palm that was scraped and bloody, pieces of grit stuck in the half-dried mess. “What happened to your hand?” 

“Tripped,” Steve replied quietly, pulling his hand back to his chest the second Thor released it. “It’ll be healed in an hour at most.” 

“If you’re sure there’s foreign matter in you, then we should do some tests,” Bruce continued apologetically. “We’ll start with a blood test and see what comes back, and go from there. Can you describe how you feel?” 

Steve swallowed and licked dry lips. Thor could hear his pounding heart from here. “It just feels wrong. Not sure if I can describe it.” 

“Okay, that’s okay,” Bruce nodded rapidly and gave him a smile, zipping his scanner back in his bag and moving on. “Just let us know if anything changes.” 

Steve nodded mutely, and was silent for the remainder of the trip. Thor watched him, watched his weary eyes. It didn’t matter that they weren’t alone. He and Steve had cuddled on the couch during movie night plenty of times; Thor reached up and slipped his hand against Steve’s ear, gently pulling the Captain’s head against his shoulder. A soft sigh slipped through the soldier’s lips as he settled. The prince held his head there and looked up to the see the two scientists staring across at the pair with mixtures of worry and approval. 

“I believe I know what is causing those rifts,” Thor whispered a few seconds after he heard the Captain’s deep and rhythmic breathing, signifying he had fallen asleep. _ Whatever happened, it must have been substantial to wear him out so. _

“Enlighten us,” Tony crossed his arms. 

“On Asgard we call it the Convergence,” Thor explained, unconsciously rubbing Steve’s ear with his fingers. “The last occurrence was before Heimdall’s watch began. All the nine realms align, and the borders between them become blurred.” 

“So you can basically fall through space randomly and land on another planet without warning,” Tony nodded slowly. “And that’s where that stuff was going when we chucked it down the stairwell. Steve, too.” 

Thor nodded, as did Bruce. The doctor was thoughtfully rubbing his chin. “That would explain the floating truck. With all those planets eclipsing each other, their gravitational fields are interacting with ours.” 

“That makes sense,” Tony agreed, and Clint snorted from the pilot’s seat. The inventor scoffed quietly. “It’s just basic physics, bird-brain.” Thor smiled to himself. Of course this pair of geniuses would quickly come up with scientific explanations for one of the most rare events in all the Nine Realms. 

Bruce fixated his stare on the demi-god. “So what do we do?” 

“Nothing,” Thor replied calmly. “Wait for it to pass. It will.” 

“And what about Steve?” Tony asked quietly, jokes forgotten to solemnity. “He’s pretty sure something went in him. Something alien.” 

Thor clutched Steve’s head firmly, protectively. “I do not know, but I will do what I can to help identify and remove it from him. If that means taking him to Asgard, I will do that.” 

“Whatever it is, we should get it out of him as soon as possible,” Tony stared at Steve’s pale, lax face. “He looks awful. Looked better after being shot.” 

Everyone hung silent in agreement. There were a lot of unknowns, but they would figure this out one way or another. There was no better collection of resources. Thor kept his arm secured around the sleeping Captain for the remainder of the long trip back. 

\-- 

When Steve woke up, he felt much better. He blinked sleep from his eyes and shifted against Thor. 

“Up and at’em sleepy-head,” Tony bent over and peered at him. “We’re here.” 

There was concern in the engineer’s eyes, enough that Steve caught a glimpse of it before his friends straightened and walked back to Bruce. _ I’m fine. _ He certainly felt it. Steve pushed himself off Thor’s warm shoulder and turned his head to make eye contact with the demi-god. 

“Did you rest well?” Thor asked, standing up alongside him and scanning him top-to-bottom. 

“Yeah...” Steve rubbed his forehead. “I did.” 

“You did not stir for the many hours of the return trip,” Thor chuckled and handed Steve his bag and shield, then bent to pick up Mjolnir. “You must have been weary.” 

“Yeah, I guess,” Steve frowned, not wanting to dwell too much on the matter. _ Wow... I must have been really _ _ tired _ _ to sleep through this whole flight. That’s a long time, especially for me. _

The others seemed to be thinking something similar, judging by the looks they gave him, but nobody said anything of it. They just filed out of the jet and into the tower to get clean, changed, and meet up again in the common area for a de-brief. Thor was done first, Steve a close second. They sat at the table to wait for the others. 

Thor’s black shirt hugged his body, hinting at lines Steve knew all too well were there. He always looked odd dressed in Earth clothes, but Steve had yet to see him wear something unflattering. Thor could probably pull off whatever he wanted. He was certainly pulling off his t-shirt, jeans, and large pair of sneakers, hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. 

Neither of them could think of anything to say as they waited, but Thor was clearly worried. Steve smiled warmly and reached out his hand, patting the prince’s solid thigh under the table. “I’m okay,” he said calmly. “I was just a bit rattled. I feel a lot better now.” 

“Your encounter must have truly drained you,” Thor sighed, worry mostly put to ease but still present. “There are tales of great evil read to us as children, and they linger in my mind. I pray that Banner and Stark will be able to remove this substance from you with ease.” 

“It’s not bothering me so much at the moment,” Steve assured. “Maybe Tony was right. Maybe it was just a dream.” 

“I have never seen a dream drain you of all energy,” Thor replied quietly, looking him in the eyes with sincerity. “Please, do not put on a bold face here, Steven. You were unhurt, but this will not heal itself as your battle wounds usually do. It may be an infection of some kind. Do not make light of it, Steve, I beg you.” 

Steve sat very still, unsure what to say for a few moments. The god was definitely... on edge. He was always a little worried when Steve got hurt, but this was different. There was some fear there. The Captain nodded. “Okay, I promise,” he breathed. “I’ll... I’ll do my best.” 

That was enough for the prince. “Perhaps next time I leave you should be locked away in your quarters,” Thor chuckled to himself and leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Steve and holding him in a steady grip. It seemed more for the god’s sake than anything, a reassurance that his Captain was warm and well. Steve laughed a little and raised his arms, fighting the tickle that suddenly aggravated his throat. He swallowed it and hugged Thor tightly in return. 

Dinner was mostly quiet. Steve didn’t have the appetite he usually did, but he ate what he could and sat back to listen as conversation finally started up. The day’s events were forgotten, benched for future discussion. The spies went to bed first, tired from a long day. Tony and Bruce filed out and went down to the lab, blood tests forgotten. 

Steve was fine with that. It could wait. Thor was back, and they had a week’s worth of catching up to do. 

“Shall we, Captain?” Thor held out his hand and Steve took it. They laced their fingers and wandered to the elevator at a leisurely pace, and Steve forgot all about his predicament. 

“So... how’d it go?” Steve asked as the elevator doors slid shut. 

“It went very well,” Thor smiled proudly. “My friends have been fighting across the Nine Realms since the bi-frost was repaired. I should have returned to help much sooner.” A little guilt clouded his pleasure. 

Steve squeezed his hand. “It worked out, right? You can’t be everywhere at once.” 

Thor sighed and led him out of the elevator and into his suite, shutting the door behind them. “I fear my father resents me for choosing this realm over my own. He did not seem entirely pleased when I took my leave.” 

“We did leave things on a rough note when we last left,” Steve laughed humorlessly. “But you have to make your own choices. You’d be the first to tell me to do what makes me happy and what feels right.” 

“Perhaps you are correct,” Thor smiled softly, his sleeves sliding over his arms as he lifted them and drew Steve closer. “I have missed you. I longed for your wisdom and companionship each day.” 

Steve laughed, tickled pink. He reached up and wrapped his arms around Thor’s neck as the god came closer. They kissed gently in the middle of the living room, Thor’s godly strength lingering behind his lips as he pushed with absolute control. 

Thor’s room was spacious, decorated with a few items he’d brought with him from Asgard, though it was mostly normal. Tony’s provided luxuries were quite sufficient for him, as he’d mentioned many times when the inventor teased him about it not holding up to Asgardian standards. Some of Steve’s things were here too. He had some clothes in Thor’s dresser, though occasionally he found himself donning one of the prince’s shirts. He had a few novels and sketchbooks here too, tucked away in drawers. Thor was the only person he trusted not to sift through his sketchbooks without permission, so he didn’t mind leaving them around. 

“I’m glad you’re back,” Steve pulled away, running his hands down the front of Thor’s shirt, enjoying the feeling of soft fabric stretched across hard muscle, warm power thrumming under it all. “You know what we haven’t done in a long time?” 

“What?” Thor tipped his head a little, welcoming to ideas as usual. 

“Dance,” Steve swallowed. “We haven’t danced properly in weeks. Gave me some time to practice, anyway. Nat taught me a few moves.” 

“Perhaps you ought to show them to me,” Thor’s grin was contagious as usual, infecting his soul and spreading from there. 

“JARVIS, you have that playlist Natasha made?” Steve glanced at the ceiling. 

“I do, Captain Rogers,” the AI responded. “Would you like me to play it for you?” 

“Yes, please,” Steve agreed, taking off his jacket and draping it over the lounge chaise he so frequently sprawled on to draw. The music started up, and Thor stood ready, holding out his hands and inviting Steve to put them where they needed to go. He looked a little excited himself. “Alright... um, just hold my hands like this,” the serum easily supplied memories of Natasha’s patient lessons. Well, not as easily as usual... 

Thor was willing and relaxed, following along and looking to the Captain for direction. He was good, a natural as Steve had suspected. The prince learned fast, picking up the moves almost instantly and falling into step with the music as if he’d known the dance all his long life. With just a couple of moves he was settling into the style of old-time swing dancing, improvising and taking the lead the second Steve let him. It was always easier to follow Thor’s lead, to watch the prince’s enthusiasm and easy confidence, and make them his own. 

“Your Earth dances are interesting, I like them,” Thor commented, his steps light and bouncing. This dance was much faster than their usual formal Asgardian dances. Steve knew that if the others ever caught sight of them, they would immediately teach Thor hip-hop or something. An image of Thor in a pair of loose pants and big gold chains crossed his mind, as did the song ‘Can’t Touch This’. Clint had played it for him one night when the team had been enjoying an evening of culture-Steve-on-seventy-years-of-music. 

_ He’d pull it off, too. The dance and the outfit both, _ Steve thought to himself with a soft smile. _ Tony would go shopping in an instant if he knew. We’d have a dance-off, it’d be _ _ somethin _ _ ’. _It made him wonder what talents his other friends had that he didn’t know about. 

Steve tripped. He lost his footing, lost his grip on Thor’s hand, and pitched backward. The demi-god caught him, both hands whipping out with such desperation the laminate below their feet might as well have been a drop into the abyss. They both hung there, and Steve was _ panting, _ breathless and hot in the face. His cough crawled back up, and this time he couldn’t force it back. His body doubled over, and he squeezed his eyes shut as he clutched Thor’s arms for balance and hacked until his ribs rattled. Somewhere in that time space, while his own coughs deafened him, JARVIS shut off the music and Thor led him to the chaise, speaking to him in quiet words he didn’t hear and couldn’t respond to. 

After what felt like an eternity, Steve opened his eyes and shivered through one deep breath. Thor had him by the shoulders, steadying him, worried eyes searching his face. 

“Was I too rough?” the god asked the second he noticed awareness seeping back into his friend’s face. 

“N-no,” Steve shook his head, his voice rough and low. “No, I... I don’t know...” 

“Breathe,” Thor heard his breathlessness and clasped his neck. “Catch your breath, steady...” 

He couldn’t. This felt wrong, so wrong... “Thor...” 

“What?” the demi-god had him, and the gravity of his tone suggested that he knew how serious it was for Steve to be displaying signs of illness. A cough for anyone else was just that, a cough. But not for Steve. He already knew what he was feeling, what this was. Dread clutched his stomach and threatened to turn it inside-out. 

“Somethin’s wrong...” Steve heaved. “Doesn’t feel right...” 

“How?” Thor pleaded. “What’s wrong?” 

“Can’t... breathe...” Fear and denial took hold, constricting his throat. He felt Thor’s hand cupping his forehead, warm and comforting. It helped. 

“You have a fever,” Thor whispered. “It is mild, but... were you injured?” 

Steve faltered – surely if he felt this sick he must have gotten hurt, and the serum was just too busy trying to fix that – but he couldn’t think of anything. Even if he’d been injured without noticing, it would have healed during the flight back. He looked at his hands and froze solid, eyes wide. Thor followed his stare and they both just looked at his scraped palm. 

It looked a little better than when he’d fallen roughly twenty hours ago, but it shouldn’t even _ be _ there... Thor knew that, knew it all too well. He’d watched Steve heal from far worse than a scraped hand. 

“I will get you some water,” Thor breathed, turning and hurrying deeper into his suite for a glass. Steve clutched his hand and stared hopelessly at the torn skin of his soft palm. The room didn’t look quite so sharp, and sound wasn’t quite as distinct. Everything was quieter, muted. His body felt cold and heavy, but his face and neck were burning. He couldn’t draw deep breaths, not without aggravating his scratchy lungs. And he _ knew... _

Thor reappeared with water and set the cup to his lips, sitting beside him and placing a hand on his back. Steve took the cup from his friend and took slow sips, staring at the floor, at his scraped hand. He swallowed a mouthful of cold water roughly, and looked over at the prince. “The serum...” 

“Is not working,” Thor guessed, but by the look in his eyes he already knew too. “We should speak with Doctor Banner.” 

Steve nodded and Thor held up his jacket so he could slide into it, wrapping a huge arm over his shoulders and tucking the Captain tightly against his side. 

“My scans detect a sudden drop in blood pressure. May I suggest you take him to medical?” JARVIS piped up. “I will alert Doctor Banner.” 

“Yes,” Thor agreed, leading the way slowly to the door. Steve’s legs carried him forward, but he felt dizzy and heavy, his vision blurring for a moment before settling. 

A little cough and some dizziness shouldn’t be alarming, but it was. Steve didn’t feel at all like himself. Even more alarming was the fact that actually, this was... familiar. It had taken some getting used to, this new body that was physically perfect, so full of strength and life. Sometimes it didn’t always feel like his own skin, but he’d made it his home, had learned to own it by remembering how grateful he was that he could protect himself and the people he cared about with it. Still, he would never forget the weak body he’d lived in before the serum. It was all coming back to him more vividly now, the limits constantly shoving him into the ground. It had eroded his spirit, but never crushed it, never eradicated it. It wouldn’t now. 

The walk to the med-bay was exhausting. When they stepped out the elevator and walked into Bruce’s lab, both him and Tony were there waiting. Bruce pointed to a chair and assessed the Captain with a clinical gaze poorly masking worry. Tony didn’t even try to hide how jarred he was, hovering by the chair. “You look like shit, Cap. You eat some out-of-date scones while I wasn’t looking?” 

Steve chuckled listlessly as Thor guided him to the chair and helped him out of one arm of his jacket. Bruce pulled on some gloves and swabbed his inner elbow. Thor kept his hands on the Captain’s shoulders. 

“JARVIS said your vitals just dropped,” Bruce quietly explained. “Blood pressure plummeted, your pulse jumped up to one-thirty. Looks like you’re still having trouble breathing. Tony, see if you can find a corticosteroid around here. I should have some in that drawer over there.” 

Steve sat still and upright as Bruce took some blood, trying to relax into Thor’s gentle rubs working his shoulders. This didn’t feel real. He barely processed what was happening as Bruce pressed a cotton swab into his arm and maneuvered his fingers over it, whispering to “Hold it there,” and folding his fist to his chest. The hole wouldn’t close almost instantly as it usually did, not the state he was in right now... 

“Okay, can you describe how you feel?” Bruce asked quietly. 

Steve clutched his arm against his chest and summoned air into his lungs, breathing as deeply as possible. That wasn’t particularly deep. “Tired,” he started, wincing. Thinking about it hurt. “Cold... hot.” 

Tony approached with an inhaler in hand, crouching in front of the Captain and holding it up. “Open up big guy,” he took off the cap and held up the small device. Steve obeyed, and Tony slid the inhaler between his lips, pushing on it and releasing medication into his mouth. “Suck in, hold your breath.” He did, and the steroid soaked into his airways. “Okay, good,” Tony pulled out the inhaler and capped it, handing it off to Thor without another word. 

Steve let his breathing settle, immediately feeling calmer now that he was getting enough oxygen. “Thanks...” 

“I’m going to run some tests on this blood,” Bruce explained, shaking a vial in each hand. “You should get some rest, Steve. I won’t have any results for a while, but... I suspect...” 

“The serum,” Steve nodded quietly, unfolding his arm to look at the little hole the needle had left. It was still bleeding. He reapplied the pressure. “Has to be. I was asthmatic before. Low blood pressure...” 

“I won’t know anything for sure until I look at this,” Bruce was trying to be realistic, optimistic, but failing. 

“But there are medicines here to treat him until he can be restored,” Thor offered hopefully. 

“Of course,” Bruce agreed hastily. “Whatever happens, Steve, we’ll take care of it. Is there anything else we should know about? Medicine’s come a long way since the forties...” 

Steve shook his head distantly. “Nothin’ else for now.” 

“Then you should get some rest.” Bruce declared. “Thor will keep an eye on you. Just let him know if anything changes, okay? Drink lots of water, keep your heart rate down.” 

Steve nodded obediently and let Thor lift him up and out of the chair, leading him from the lab and back to the elevator. Tony and Bruce watched them go in silence. 

He had no idea what to make of this. Thor kept his hands on him as they walked, quiet and struggling to find the words himself, but managing something. “Your room or mine?” 

“Yours,” Steve replied hastily. “If... that’s okay...?” 

“Of course, I would not have offered otherwise,” Thor stepped into the elevator and pressed the correct button. “If anyone can solve this puzzle, it is Doctor Banner and Tony,” he added, genuine optimism in his strong voice. Steve believed it, losing his doubt for just a second. He just nodded and let Thor guide him through the tower and into his room, taking him straight to bed. Despite his nap on the plane, more sleep was starting to sound like a mighty good idea. 

“Are you hungry?” Thor asked, sitting him on the huge bed and pushing the jacket off his shoulders. 

“I could use some water,” Steve offered apologetically. 

“Of course,” Thor agreed, kneeling down to pull off the Captain’s shoes. 

Steve pulled back his foot. “Thor, it’s okay, I can do it... I’m just a little... tired. That’s all. I’m okay, really.” 

The demi-god paused, looking into Steve’s flushed face with amusement. “As you wish,” and he smiled, taking the inhaler from his pocket and setting it on the little table by the bed. “I will go get you some water.” 

Steve smiled back and watched the demi-god walk out of the room before folding up his legs and prying off his shoes one at a time. He leaned over and neatly set them by the nightstand, peeling off his shocks and stuffing them in. Very slowly, he sat up, clutching his head as all the blood rushed to it and his ears vibrated. He winced and hauled his legs onto the covers, turning and laying back on the pillows. He’d spent many nights in Thor’s suite, in his bed, even. This room was familiar, warm, and modestly decorated. For a prince, Thor didn’t go overboard. 

Steve stared ahead at a painting hanging on the wall, a beautiful coral reef depicted with bright blues and greens and many colorful fish. Its depth was inviting, the colors reassuring and cheerful, yet mysterious all the same. Thor had spotted it hanging in a shop window when he and Steve had gone for a walk a few weeks ago, and he’d stared at it, mesmerized. The shopkeeper had been amused by the sight of the large man with both hands on the glass, staring through the window like a child looking longingly into a candy store. 

Of course it had come home with them. If the shopkeeper had noticed his customers were Avengers, he’d said nothing of it. Despite their normal clothing, ball caps, and sunglasses, Thor and Captain America were still, well, _ distinct. _ They were huge, both of them over six feet and layered with muscle. Even in his big tan jacket, Thor was clearly a specimen. 

There were other paintings around the suite. Mostly of animals. Thor loved Earth fauna. Steve had found a large canvas and painted him a moose drinking from a stream, and it hung in the living room where it was easily visible. Mjolnir was resting on a chair by the dresser as usual, Thor’s casual Asgardian robes draped there too. The prince had taken a liking to Earth attire, and rarely wore anything but around the tower. 

When he returned, he had a glass of cold water in one hand as promised. The prince gestured with his hand. “You will find breathing a little easier if you sit,” he suggested, a tad amused. Steve smiled bashfully and propped himself up, taking the glass from his friend. He took small, grateful sips and the demi-god dragged over a few extra pillows and tucked them behind his back, slowly pushing his shoulders against them. Then he walked to his dresser and rummaged for a pair of grey sweats. 

“Don’t worry about it...” Steve started, but Thor would not be dissuaded from bringing them over. 

“Surely you do not plan on going to sleep in jeans,” the prince lifted a quizzical eyebrow. 

“Oh... I guess not,” Steve agreed, putting down his cup and unbuttoning his pants. He unzipped the fly and Thor grabbed the hem at the ankles, sliding them right off in one smooth swoop. He handed over the sweat pants and Steve tugged them on. This was much more comfortable. 

Then, Thor produced a pack of cards from his pocket and proudly brandished them. “Rest need not mean sleep,” he announced. “Unless you are weary, in which case I will leave you be. But if you wish to keep busy I will happily indulge.” 

“I’d really like that,” Steve grinned back, finishing his water. Thor beamed and hopped onto the bed, folding his legs and dumping the cards on the blankets. 

\-- 

Tony watched the blonde duo walk out and waited until the door closed before sinking into the chair Steve had just been occupying, scrubbing his face with his hand. “This is bad...” he whispered. 

“It has the capacity to be,” Bruce agreed, firing up various programs to run his tests. “But there’s so much we don’t know. Whatever infected Steve is affecting the serum. Statistically, all other possible causes are astronomically unlikely. The substance that infected him could just be an infection the serum is struggling with, but the symptoms match too closely to Steve’s pre-serum ailments.” 

“I’ve read the file...” Tony slouched in the chair. “At least his body hasn’t reverted.” 

“That’s probably impossible,” Bruce gave a rueful smile and slid over a tablet of data. Tony snatched it up. “The serum altered his body. There’s no way of undoing that.” 

Tony nodded. “But he can still get infections.” 

“That’s what I’m worried about,” Bruce nodded. “There’s no way to know what his immune system is like without these tests.” 

“Just let me know what I can do to help,” Tony agreed. “JARVIS, keep tabs on Thor and Steve and report if things go awry. But if they get up to anything spicy I don’t want to hear about it.” 

“I am already monitoring Captain Rogers for significant deterioration of his condition,” the AI calmly responded. “He is currently engaged in a game of Gin Rummy with Lord Thor and appears stable. He is well.” 

“Copy that,” Tony sighed with relief. “Let’s hope we can undo whatever’s screwing with his blood before anything has the chance to go wrong.” 

“Thor’ll look after him,” Bruce assured, tapping on the keyboard. “He’ll be fine.” 

“Ugh, you’re right, that guy won’t let him out of his sight,” Tony agreed, but in reality it was a relief. Steve was being well taken care of. “What about the others, should we tell them?” 

“Since when have you ever asked my advice before opening your mouth?” Bruce quirked a smile as he pressed his face up to a microscope. 

Tony snorted. “In that case I’ll just go let them know that their Captain is down. Let’s hope nothing comes up, either. At least if Cap tries to come along we can tie him up and sedate him.” 

Bruce grimaced, and Tony agreed: neither of them liked the idea of trying to keep one very stubborn super-soldier from charging into battle. With luck and ingenuity, they would get whatever was in Steve’s system out, and get the serum working again. Tony shoved worry aside with honed skill and got to work. He wasn’t an expert in genetics, but he _ was _ a genius, which counted for something. 

\-- 

The serum was _ there _, but by Bruce’s terms, dormant. Inactive. Switched off. And the cause? It had to be the foreign substance flowing through Steve’s veins, red and evil, and mostly impossible to get a read on. 

“It’s... an organism,” Bruce breathed in mild awe as the two scientists observed their night’s work projected in the middle of the room. “But it isn’t at the same time. I’ve never seen anything like it. Looks like the serum tried to fight it, but it just got shut down.” 

“But it’s there,” Tony confirmed, staring at the DNA and cell structures spinning in reassuring blue around the room. 

“As far as I can tell, it’s in-tact,” Bruce agreed. “His body is even making more, like it’s supposed to, but it’s not _ doing _ anything.” 

“So for all intents and purposes... he’s a normal guy,” Tony suggested. 

Bruce nodded gravely. “The serum permanently corrected all his physical ailments, altered his cornea and straightened his spine. But without it, he’s wide open for infections of all kinds. His asthma made an instant resurgence, by the looks of it...” 

“So he still has twenty-twenty vision,” Tony mused, “but a cold could kill him. What do we do? Sanitize everything? Wear masks? Put him in quarantine until we fix this?” 

Bruce lifted his hand placatingly. “Easy, Tony, he might be alright. I’m looking for antibodies in his blood to see what sort of defenses he has in place if he does catch something. He might be alright, we don’t know. His current symptoms might just be an initial reaction. It might pass, and he might just be a normal, healthy guy.” 

“That’s a lot of ‘mights’,” Tony heaved. 

“Science is never absolute,” Bruce shook his head. “Especially when it comes to the human body. And Steve’s is one-of-a-kind, Tony, there’s no data on the serum. He’s the only test subject we’ve got.” 

Tony snorted. “And if Steve heard you call him a test subject he’d punch your lights out.” 

“You know what I mean,” Bruce softened. 

Tony did. But he didn’t like it, didn’t like all the unknowns and the fact that his friend’s life could be in danger. Steve’s well-being certainly was. _ Though getting waited on by Thor might not be so bad, lucky bastard. _There was nothing lucky about this, but Tony could hope that Steve was at least partially enjoying the mother-henning Thor was no-doubt raining upon him. If something went wrong, Steve would be down here in a flash whether he liked it or not. That was comforting to some degree. 

Bruce read off his tablet with unease. “Ideally I’d have him down here for some tests, but for Steve’s sake we should try to keep this low-key.” 

Tony nodded in agreement. “Sucky thing to happen to a guy who hates hospitals. Let’s try to keep him out of one. And off SHIELD’s radar. Fury would be all over this if he knew. Probably stick the guy in a lab and prod him to death.” 

“Yeah, for once I’m with you on the secrecy thing,” Bruce agreed mournfully. “I don’t think there’s much they could do to help either. If anything they’d stress him out and make it worse. I’m not one to toot my own horn, but the two of us should be able to crack this.” 

“Definitely,” Tony agreed eagerly. “Come on, let’s put our collective genius together and fix this before sun-up so Steve doesn’t miss his morning run.” 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your support of this series, and your warm comments for each installment! I love you all very dearly <3 I promise much juicy content. I'm just getting started B)

Overall, Steve looked relatively alright. He was weary and a little flushed in the cheeks, but his eyes were bright with spirit, and his smile full of genuine pleasure if not a little weak. Thor put the cards away late in the evening, watching Steve fall slowly into a deep sleep. He tucked him into the covers and stroked his forehead, wary of a worsening fever. So far, it was still mild and unchanging.

“We will find a solution for this,” Thor murmured and pressed a kiss into Steve’s relaxed brow. “But until then, may your suffering be short and your spirit left undamaged.”

Medicine, he couldn’t help much with. Bruce and Tony would have to do the heavy lifting, and Thor was a little dismayed that he had nothing to offer in that regard. But he could do this, keep a watchful eye on the Captain and make sure he was well, and if he wasn’t, provide any support he could.

Mostly, Steve just looked tired. He didn’t appear to be in much pain, and after using the emergency inhaler in the lab, his breathing had settled and improved slightly. Each breath was a little rattled, and not as deep as Thor was used to, but it was strong and promising all the same. Steve was still Steve; not enhanced for the moment, but strong and bright and beautiful.

Thor settled on the bed beside him and just watched him sleep. Tony’s computer man in the walls dimmed the lights for them without prompting, and though Thor didn’t usually like the AI stepping in on his behalf, he didn’t mind this time.

“Sleep, and be well in the morning,” Thor whispered, sliding off his shirt and curling up beside Steve, draping an arm across the Captain’s chest.

When he awoke, his arm was damp. Thor opened his eyes and JARVIS eased on the lights so he could better make out his friend. Steve’s shirt clung to him with sweat, and his face glistened, features twisted in a tight grimace. Thor bolted up and ripped back the blankets, resting the back of his hand against Steve’s slick forehead. It didn’t feel much hotter than before, but the Captain was breathing in short, ragged hitches.

“Captain Roger’s fever has not increased to serious levels,” the computer spoke suddenly, calm and calculating but somehow so human despite being artificial. “He appears to be experiencing a nightmare and an elevated heart rate. May I suggest preventative measures for an asthma attack?”

“Yes, yes,” Thor breathed. Just a nightmare. He could handle that. He’d handled it many, many times in the past. A nightmare was familiar, usual. He clutched Steve’s face for some semblance of stability, ran his thumbs along the Captain’s clammy cheeks in the hopes of rousing him and grounding him with reality as well as providing some comfort.

“He must remain calm,” the AI suggested. “Hot coffee can sometimes help mitigate an attack. Shall I start something?”

Thor nodded and waved an urgent hand, immediately hearing the sounds of his espresso machine turning on and heating up. Tony had immediately given him the machine once he’d found out  about  the demi-god's love of coffee. Thor had discovered upon his first use of it that he had a love for foamy milk as well. He left Steve’s side for a mere moment, only so he could slide a mug under the machine and fill the holder with ground beans. JARVIS took care of the rest.

Steve was twitching, muttering as he often did in his sleep, sparkling with stress-induced sweat. At least his fever hadn’t increased... Still, Thor was having a hard time not being overly worried about his de-powered friend. Human illnesses had never been an issue for him, nor for Steve, but it appeared they might be a factor here. Thor understood very little about human biology, but he knew enough to be scared.

_ If Steven’s serum has truly been affected this way, then he is no more vulnerable than my other human companions,  _ Thor reasoned. All humans got sick; he knew that. With Steve it seemed different, though. Frightening, and not just because he loved the man more dearly than he could find the words for.

“Wake up, Steve,” Thor urged, giving the Captain’s shoulders a gentle shake. The hand that grabbed his shirt was a fraction of its usual strength, but powerful all the same. Serum or not, Steve was still huge, six feet of solid muscle.  Still, a mere human was nothing to Thor. He mourned how easily it was to unlock Steve’s fingers twisting up his shirt so he could encase them in his own.

Steve stared up at him, blinking away a confused haze before coming back to himself. He relaxed, caught his breath, dispelled old memories. And he smiled a little. “ Thor? ” That voice was quiet, strained, rough.

“Yes,” Thor confirmed gently . “The only.”

“Tony's rubbing off on you,” Steve chuckled, and it morphed into a light cough. Thor helped him sit a little higher and kept a comforting pressure on the Captain’s back until it was over. The bout didn’t last long. 

“How are you feeling?” the prince asked quietly. 

“I’m awake,” Steve shrugged. “Better than dreaming, at least.”

“And the sickness...?”

“I feel a little better, actually,” Steve admitted with a tired smile. He rubbed his eyes. “What time is it?”

“Too early,” Thor glanced at the clock on the wall. “Three am. One moment.” The prince stepped out of the room, walking to the coffee machine and extracting the mug full of dark, steaming liquid. He took it back and pushed  it into Steve’s hand. “Drink. Stark’s man in the walls suggested it to help your cough.”

“Thanks,” Steve cradled the mug and took slow sips. His breathing had already evened out, but he looked mildly troubled. That was understandable. Thor wouldn’t expect much else, between the dream and the serum malfunctioning .

“Your dreams have no t troubled you for some time,” Thor settled beside him. As much as Steve looked off, he appeared less rattled than a typical nightmare normally left him. “Do you wish to talk about them?”

Steve swallowed a mouthful of coffee and held the mug under his nose, breathing in the steam. His brow creased with thought as he stared across the room. “It was the same as usual...” the Captain started. “But... not. It wasn’t as vibrant. I don’t know. Things weren’t as clear or sharp. It felt like an actual dream instead of reliving it.”

That was good, right? Thor patted Steve’s thigh very gently, more so than usual. He was always gentle with Steve, but if his serum wasn’t working right, what if he accidentally hit too hard and broke his human friend?  _ Foolish. Steven is no more breakable than my other friends. I must not patronize him, nor handle him as if he were a child. He is still very strong. _ “It looked unpleasant all the same,” Thor continued. He was aware that Steve’s serum had enhanced his memory. The prince had hoped that perhaps they were wrong, that Steve was fine and his serum was functioning as it should, but more and more evidence was popping up to  confirm the opposite . The Captain’s scraped hand looked as it had on the plane, the cuts closed, but red and angry. Fresh.

“They were,” Steve agreed, taking another sip of coffee. “But they were... better.”

“Perhaps good can come of this yet,” Thor smiled optimistically. Steve was admirably calm, taking all of this in stride. Thor wondered if he was hiding how he truly felt, and he hoped otherwise. He hoped he knew his Captain well enough to tell if the man was concealing his true emotions.

“Yeah, maybe,” Steve smiled and emptied his mug with one final swig. He set it on the lampstand and rubbed his chest anxiously. “I feel pretty good at the moment. I think I need to move around a bit though. Think we could go down to the gym for a bit? Spar, maybe?” The Captain peered at him hopefully, shifting his legs.

Thor had to agree that all this sitting around had made his legs jumpy. He agreed all too quickly, encouraged by his friend’s clear breathing and strong grip as he offered his hand. It was impossible to turn Steve down for a good sparring match anyway. The Captain was an incredible opponent, Earth’s best warrior when it came to combat. But for now, the demi-god would have to be extra careful. Without the serum, he could easily break his friend beyond repair.

In their time together, Steve had taught him patience and control beyond the training beaten into him from a young age on  Asgard . It was in Thor’s nature to be impulsive. His short temper and attention span had often been his downfall. Steve’s trust in him had brought out a side he never knew he had. It was standard for warriors to tend each other’s less severe wounds after battle, and as such Thor had treated many bloody injuries over the course of his long life. But he had never had the connection with any of his companions as he did with Steve, had never felt so compelled to care for someone. For Steve, he had endless patience, could sit very still and thread a needle, could hold his companion steady and stitch long lacerations closed without losing focus or patience.

Steve had brought that out in him. Steve trusted him, came to him with his wounds and asked  _ him _ for help. Actually  _ asked _ . Steve, who preferred to hide his hurts and lick them in private, would come to the prince in search of comfort. And if Steve, who was the epitome of good, was asking? Thor would lock away his impulsive nature and do whatever he could for this noble, caring man who deserved so much. And so, after many sessions of learning to tie stitches from Bruce with Steve calmly lying beneath them, he’d found himself being more relaxed about other things too. He’d started to help tend to his other team mates when Steve was done with, finding it enjoyable. It had helped form a stronger friendship between himself and the others.

He could sit for long periods, just watching Steve draw. It was very relaxing, and Thor often found himself coaxing the Captain to pick up his sketchbook if  the prince felt anxious. It was a bit hypocritical, but Thor was generally quiet about his own emotions. He endured his own nightmares, but they were mild in comparison to Steve’s, and he easily shoved them away to avoid worrying the Captain. Besides, anything that came up could easily be batted aside by a warm smile from the soldier, a quick spar in the ring, or a long cuddle in bed together.

Feeling a little stressed himself, Thor was happy to let out a bit of steam on the mats. Steve’s well-being came first, of course, but the Captain looked well, bare chest twitching with flexing muscles, still wearing his borrowed sweats but peeling off his shirt. Thor eagerly squared off against his friend.

\--

The building rattled. Tony braced the table, and Bruce steadied his vials of blood. They both froze solid.

“JARVIS, what the hell was that?” Tony cautiously let go of the table. Nothing had been damaged, thank goodness, at least not in the lab.

“Sir, there appears to have been an explosion of some sort in the gym.” JARVIS politely piped up, and Tony made eye contact with Bruce. They both raced for the door.

“What do you mean ‘some sort’?” Tony demanded, s kidding into the elevator with Bruce on his heels.

“There is no fire,” the computer responded. “And no smoke. Though  a  significant force must have erupted to throw Lord Thor across the room.”

“Bloody hell!” Tony yelled. “What the hell, Rogers...” Clearly, the two had been wrestling if Thor was in the gym, or doing something else equally _ridiculous_ given that Steve was a _normal guy_ now, a normal guy with asthma and low platelets...

Bruce was quiet, hanging back for good reason as Tony bolted out the elevator and into the gym. The scene he found was confusing as much as it was disturbing: Thor, sprawled on the floor , breathless with surprise and impact with the now-dented wall ; and Steve on the other side of the room, collapsed on his side. Natasha was already there, knelt beside him, speaking to him in a quiet voice and slowly manipulating his head into her lap while she pressed her fingers under his jaw.

“What the hell...” Clint appeared behind the scientists, pushing through and taking in the scene.

“My thoughts exactly,” Tony swallowed, staggering into the room. Bruce slipped by and ran to Steve, abandoning all hesitance in favor of urgency.  _ Oh god... he better be okay... _

“Steven,” Thor pushed off the floor and brushed dry wall off his shoulders like it was nothing , jogg ing over to join the small cluster hovering around their Captain. Tony hung back with Clint, peering over the others to determine if his friend was at least alive.

He was, and visibly unscathed, but wincing and panting and wheezing. He was pale and covered in a thin sheen of sweat, coughing weekly into Natasha as she propped him up and rubbed his back. The spy gently wrapped her fingers around his wrist and held it up with wide eyes as Bruce came closer and took a pulse for himself.

“This isn’t good,” she whispered, and they all looked at the bright red glow fading from the veins in Steve’s forearm.

Tony shuffled closer. Steve was right; there w _ as _ something in him. “Thor...”

“We were merely sparring casually,” the demi-god knelt beside his friend and took his hand, dripping with worry and guilt. “I was careful to restrain myself, and he appeared well enough. I was perhaps too fast, and he was unable to block my blow. This red substance erupted from his body and threw me back. He immediately collapsed.”

“He’s okay,” Bruce whispered, peering across at Thor first, then up to Tony. “His pulse is through the roof, but it’s coming down. He’s got a low-grade fever, but it’s not much higher than it was before. No broken bones or internal injuries.”

Thor sighed with relief, and positively deflated when Steve opened his eyes and blinked them clear. He looked exhausted, drained. He coughed into his arm, turning into Natasha . “What the hell...” his voice came out mumbled and rough. Tony and Clint exchanged glances.

“Glad to know we’re all on the same page,” Tony butted in, “but seriously, what the hell, Rogers? What are you doin’ down here, for the love of god? I thought Bruce told you to rest?”

“Felt fine,” Steve shrugged bashfully.

“And I believed him to be so,” Thor leapt to his defense. “We looked well.”

“I  _ was, _ until whatever...” Steve sat up off of Natasha and rubbed his palms into his face. Clearly, the Captain had no idea what had happened either. The Widow calmly pressed her hand between his shoulder blades and held it there. Thor grabbed the Captain’s knee, and Bruce backed up to give them space.

“I think you should come back down to medical,” Bruce quietly suggested, and for once Steve didn’t argue. He just nodded and pulled his hands away, starting to push his legs under himself, but too unsteady to actually stand. He pitched sideways and Thor caught him, wrapping an arm through his and slowly righting him. Natasha took the other arm and together they got him to his feet.

“Really guys, I’m okay...” Steve swayed between the two of them, no less pale. Tony could hear the cough crackling in his throat.

“Bullshit alert !” the inventor announced and spun on his heel, striding to the door.

They were all rattled. Steve was slow, panting audibly a few paces behind, Thor and Natasha still at either side of him. Tony could hear them walking and muttering to their wheezing Captain. It was a relief when they finally got to medical. Bruce took the lead, and Thor follo wed , forcing Steve into a room.

“Guys... I’m okay,” Steve finally protested like his good- ol ' self, squirming a little in Thor’s grip. The demi-god didn’t say a word; he just ducked and scooped Steve off the floor like a toddler , deposit ing him carefully but firmly on the bed. Tony saw guilt lingering in the prince’s eyes  –  oh, Steve wasn’t going to be leaving this room for a while yet. Not until Bruce was done with him.  _ Serves you right, _ the inventor thought, despite the growing sympathy breeding in his chest. Steve looked uncomfortable, sick and unhappy with the attention and the setting.

Tony marched over, standing beside Thor while Bruce hurried off to get some supplies. “Listen up, Spangles, whatever that shit is, we’ll get rid of it. Get you back to normal in no time.  So you just hang tight, and shut the hell up, got it?”

Steve opened his mouth to reply, but promptly shut it again and nodded reluctantly. Gratefulness swam in his big blue stare,  plus a little fear. Tony smiled and smacked more than patted his bicep.

“Hey, you’ll be okay. If anything, I’m more afraid of what Point Break here will do to me if I don’t.” Tony directed his thumb at Thor.

The demi-god chuckled good-naturedly. “I would do no such thing, Stark. Though perhaps I have considered hurling you into the sun on occasion.”

“Rude,” Tony scoffed, brushing it off while a part of his brain tried to do the math and gauge if Thor was actually capable of that. It was possible.

Natasha appeared with a couple of blankets. Tony watched, incredulous. Somehow Steve seemed to bring out the nursemaid in everyone. Even Tony, who was reaching for the blankets without realizing and draping them across the Captain’s huge frame.  _ Enjoy it while it lasts. I’ll be back to  _ _ har _ _ a _ _ ssing _ _ you at every possible turn when you’re better. _

Thor’s worry was palpable, and Tony swore the room had grown physically darker. The demi-god ran his fingers through Steve’s hair, deep in thought. Clint approached with water and handed it over, backing up but watching closely as Steve sipped from the glass.

Bruce returned with a few things and Natasha stepped back to give him space, hovering next to Clint. Tony felt as helpless as she looked.  _ Since when was magic out of my league? I’ll fix this, figure it out like I always do. There’s an explanation for everything. _ Science would prevail.

“I really don’t think this is necessary...” Steve was protesting again, but didn’t dare fight as Bruce wrapped a blood pressure cuff around his arm and clipped a pulse oximeter to his finger. Readings immediately scrolled across the monitor. All six of them watched the numbers pop up on the display .

Bruce sighed. “Steve... there’s a foreign substance in your body. It’s shut down the serum. You’re getting asthma attacks. If this isn’t cause for monitoring, I don’t know what is. And if you let me get some readings, they might help us solve the problem and get you back to normal. At the very least, it’ll help me help you if you aren’t feeling well.”

Steve bit his lower lip, the battle between reason and pure dislike of medical procedures raging clearly in his honest eyes. But he submitted, sighed and shut his eyes in defeat, leaning his head into Thor’s big, comforting hand. Sympathy shone in Bruce’s expression as he got quickly to work.

\--

It was like being a kid again, minus of course a few details. He was still big, packed with muscle, his spine straight and his eyes sharp. Tony was explaining it to him now, everything the two scientists had come up with so far.

“Basically, the serum permanently changed your body,” Tony laid it down. “Healed the scar tissue in your heart, fixed up your eyes, the works. But your immune system is a different matter altogether. Without the serum, you have almost no defenses against illness.”

Steve squinted, fidgeting nervously with the blanket. He didn’t want to be here, under scrutiny, getting prodded and tested and monitored. He didn’t like the feeling of pressure on his chest as Bruce secured electrodes to it and connected them to the monitor. But he was too tired to protest much, even if he wanted to. As soon as that flash of red had blasted out of him, he’d felt completely drained. Some energy had returned, but not all of it.

“That substance in your blood is unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” Bruce continued. “It’s almost like it’s a creature. Alive, sentient. JARVIS is currently working on a few more tests, but I can tell you for certain that it’s a parasite.”

That didn’t sound promising. It explained why he felt so tired, too. Steve peered up at the doctor with bleary eyes. “What do we do?”

“We keep testing,” Bruce explained, and he looked a little embarrassed. “That’s all we  _ can _ do for the moment. And you need to rest. There’s no telling what that stuff will do to you, and if something goes wrong you should be here.”

Thor squeezed his arm. “You will not be alone,” he assured. “Had I not allowed you to fight-”

“Not your fault,” Steve smiled and shook his head.

“If anything, it was good,” Bruce added quickly. “We know a little bit more about what we’re dealing with.”

Thor didn’t seem convinced, but he fell silent, eyes drifting to Steve’s stomach. He wrapped warm fingers around the Captain’s wrist that was laid there and lifted it up, peering at the skin of his forearm. They all looked over, watching bright red swirl and glow beneath the skin. “This may be beyond Earth medicine...”

“Maybe, but we have to try,” Bruce agreed quietly.

“If you cannot heal him, I must take him to  Asgard ,” Thor replied solemnly. “We have  healers there who can help.”

It was a mild reassurance. Steve felt his eyelids grow heavy, longing for sleep. The cough finally escaped his throat, and it rumbled in his chest, damp and thick and worrisome. It sucked away the last of his energy, so he settled back, ignoring all the voices ringing in his ears and the hands steadying him, and fell asleep.

\--

Odin’s wishes be damned, Steve was coming with him to Asgard.

Everyone was anxious. Thor paced, a familiar frustration clutching his carefully-woven calm. He  _ had _ to be calm, for Steve, for his friends. But it was hard. He felt helpless. There was nothing he could do to fix this. Bruce and Tony were back in the lab analyzing Steve’s blood. Clint was sitting in the corner, unwilling to leave but unable to provide any assistance. Natasha hung by the bed and rubbed her hand through Steve’s hair.

Relatively, Steve was alright. Tired, but fine in a general sense. His blood pressure was too low and his pulse too high, but they weren’t dangerous. His fever was mild, and his cough deep and chesty, but not serious.

Not yet, at least.  _ Yet. _ Things weren’t dangerous,  _ yet _ .

Steve aside, something didn’t  _ feel _ right. Thor couldn’t put his finger on it, and it was making him more anxious.

“He’s probably just caught a cold,” Natasha murmured, and when he  turned she was looking at him softly. “He’ll be alright. He’s tough, even without the serum.”

“Something else stirs, something evil,” Thor shook his head to hide his worry. It didn’t matter the circumstances, Steve looked terrible. But at least he was sleeping, and deeply. He looked truly at peace.

“The stuff that’s in him?” Natasha asked. “Do you know what it is?”

“I have heard tales,” Thor tested.  _ And none of them are good. _ “I fear what may be on the horizon. Not just for Steven. It is no coincidence that the convergence is nearly upon us.”

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this too,” Natasha gave him a sad smile, and they both paused to watch Steve breathe. Maybe it was just his imagination, but Steve looked a little thinner.

Thor came closer, rested his hand on Steve’s chest so he could feel his friend’s heartbeat through his palm. It was a comforting sensation.

“He’ll be okay,” Natasha repeated quietly.

Thor knew he would be. Knew that Bruce and Tony would keep at  it. Knew that Clint and Natasha would do what they could to help. Knew that Steve himself wouldn’t stop fighting for one second against the parasite i nside him.

The next few hours were torturous, but at least nothing was changing. Steve stayed sleeping, his vitals constant. Clint left to get food for himself and everyone, and check on the scientists, and Natasha stayed with Thor in the room. She found a chair and pulled it up, and Thor brought a book from his room. He climbed into bed beside Steve and lay down, summoning all his willpower to be patient and just sit still for as long as it took. He was only a few pages in when Steve turned into him with a soft groan, burying his head into the demi-god's shoulder and wrapping his arm over his chest. The machine protested a little, but settled. Steve sighed deeply, the tail end vibrating his throat. The Captain coughed a little, and Thor wrapped an arm around his back.

Steve slept for hours curled up against Thor’s body, well into the morning. As afternoon approached, he finally stirred, coughing viciously into the prince’s chest and squeezing tightly. The monitor beeped with mild annoyance. Thor abandoned his book and Natasha rushed over to take it from him, folding down the corner of the page he was on and pressing her hand against Steve’s forehead. Thor clasped the back of the Captain’s neck until the coughing stoppe d. Clint  anxiously  rose to his feet in his corner.

“Steve?” Natasha coaxed, and he turned his head to look at her.

“I’m awake,” he groaned. “Time’s’it?”

“Lunch time,” she smiled. Clint ducked out of the room.

Steve was hot and heavy and damp draped over Thor’s chest. His bare skin was slick and shimmery. His eyes were cloudy with sleep and fever. The Captain shivered a little and tucked himself tighter against Thor’s warm body. “ M’not hungry, thanks Nat.”

“Not an option, soldier,” Natasha shook his shoulder. “Come on, sit up. I don’t know what Clint’s making, but you’ll hurt his feelings if you don’t eat it.”

“ M’not a kid,” Steve batted at her hand. “Be fine in a minute.”

It was a little endearing. Thor smiled and rolled Steve onto his back, sliding from under the covers and neatly stepping to the floor. Steve relented and sat up off the pillows, rubbing some wakefulness into his eyes.

“JARVIS said you were up.” Bruce appeared in the doorway and walked over, holding up a small device. “How do you feel?”

“Cold, tired,” Steve admitted, drawing the blankets to his chest and hugging himself. He started to lay back down, but Natasha inclined the bed and met him halfway.

“Your temperature is a little higher,” Bruce explained, examining the device in his hand. A thermometer of some sort, Thor reasoned. Humans had such interesting machinery. What they could do amazed him, even if Asgardian medicine was thought to be superior. He wasn’t so sure. Magic could put a person back together, but the knowledge of science here was impressive.

“Any progress doc?” Steve shifted his leg, restless despite his sunken eyes and labored breath.

Bruce shook his head apologetically. “We’re working on it.”

Earth medicine, as awesome as it may be, was still limited. Thor frowned. “How long before you make progress?”

“Hard to say,” Bruce admitted. He looked just as tired as Steve. He’d been up all night, and probably longer. Thor’s heart swelled with pride at the love and compassion of his team.

“Rest, then,” Thor implored gratefully. “I will take Steven to  Asgard . There is evil in his blood, and I fear there may be no medicines on Earth that can cure him of this. If the parasite lashe s out a gain a s it did last night then your safety is at risk.”

They all knew what that meant. Bruce especially. He paled and nodded. “At least let me run a couple more tests. If I can’t get rid of the parasite, I can at least get Steve some medicine.”

“I’ll sleep it off,” Steve groaned, and it promptly became a cough. They all stopped to listen to the disturbingly wet hacking sounds their Captain made, and Thor leapt forward to steady him .

The coughing subsided and the room fell silent, Steve clutching his chest with a blank look on his face. Thor rubbed his spine with a thumb, and Bruce approached.

“That sounds an awful lot like a lung infection,” the doctor quietly remarked, reaching for a stethoscope. “Steve, rest might not be enough. You need antibiotics before this gets any worse. And it might.”

Steve clenched his fist and gripped his chest, fingers digging into slick skin. He  grit his teeth, and Thor felt for him. “I know,”  h e bit out, ghosts in his distant eyes. “I lived through it before. I’ll be fine.”

Bruce nodded patiently and held up the shiny probe. “At least let me listen to your lungs.”

Steve obliged and leaned forward so the doctor could access his back, shivering as the cold end of the stethoscope pressed into his ribs. Thor watched, fascination tainting his concern.

“Breathe in, deep as you can,” the doctor murmured, and Steve drew in as deep a breath as he was able before exhaling with a whoosh through his mouth. “Again... one more time.” The Captain obeyed.  Finally Bruce pulled back and hung the stethoscope around his neck, unapologetically grim. “There’s fluid in both lungs. You need some antibiotics before this gets worse, Steve.”

Silence. Steve leaned back slowly and pulled the blankets tightly around himself. The full weight of the situation was visibly sinking into his shoulders. Finally, he licked his lips and spoke, turning his gaze up to Thor. “If we get that stuff out of me, I’ll be okay. It won’t interfere with the serum, and I’ll be fine. You said it’s still there, right?” The Captain threw his gaze to the doctor with a touch of desperation.

Bruce nodded hesitantly. “It’s there. Your DNA is unchanged.”

Steve swallowed , far too polite to ask the question . Thor nodded once , understanding . “ We can depart immediately.  I will find you some clean clothes,” he agreed. “Perhaps you should eat.”

“You can’t fight infection on an empty stomach,” Natasha agreed.

Steve folded under the three of them and settled into the pillows, unhappy but compliant. Thor left him with Natasha.

There was no way Odin would let Steve into  Asgard for treatment. Thor stared daggers into Steve’s dresser as he picked out the Captain’s favorite jeans, a plain t-shirt, and a hoodie.  _ He may see sense if I show him what evil resides in Steven’s blood, _ the prince reasoned and hoped, draping the clothes over his arm and returning to his own suite.  _ I will do what I must if he will not allow him to help. _ That he knew with certainty. And if he could not procure help from the  Eir , there were other realms he could travel to, other help he could seek to remove this sickness from Steve.

Thor emerged from his room with  Steve’s inhaler tucked in his armor, his cloak fluttering behind him as he made his way back to medical in long strides. 

Clint was just leaving, his arms full of sandwiches. He pressed one into Thor’s chest and disappeared  round the corner. The prince eyes the bag in his hand and walked into the room. Steve was already sitting on the edge of the bed, all the machinery disconnected, Natasha at his side. They had already started eating.

Steve looked up at Thor’s entrance and smiled around a small mouthful of food, swallowing. The prince  s a t on the Captain’s other side  and unwrapped his sandwich eagerly. Clint made very good sandwiches, and he was very hungry.

“Are you sure it’s okay?” Steve asked, looking over with concern in his eyes. “I mean, last time I was there...”

“My father has moved past the incident,” Thor explained calmly. “And if I must defy him to find you treatment, I will. He may be the Allfather, but he is not always right.”

“I did comit treason,” Steve reasoned.

“That you did,” Thor chuckled. “But it was at my direction. If my father discovers our return before the  Eir have removed this curse from your blood, then I will plead with him for your cause. If he still refuses to grant you aid, we will find a way to show him the evil in you, and that it is the concern of all the realms that it be dealt with.”

Steve didn’t seem very reassured, pushing his sandwich into his mouth and staring at his dangling feet.

“You’d do it for us,” Natasha piped up. “In a heartbeat. I know you would.”

“You can’t ask me to be okay with pitting him against his own father,” Steve muttered.

“The conflict between my father and me is older than you,” Thor patiently reassured. “His views and mine have differed in the past, more violently so as of late. I make my choices because I believe they are right, just as you do.”

Steve replied with a shaky nod and returned to his sandwich, relinquishing. He sighed and swallowed. “Thanks.”

“You can thank me when this is over, and you are well,” Thor restrained himself from patting the Captain, not wanting to jostle his congested lungs. He settled for a gentle squeeze of his closer knee. Steve smiled, and opened his mouth as if to offer up more thanks, but put his sandwich in it instead.

The trio finished eating, and Bruce appeared a few moments later, Tony and Clint on his heels. Lunch break was over. Thor hopped to his feet and handed Steve the clothes he’d brought him.

While the Captain got dressed, facing away from the group, the others gathered around the doctor for a short de-brief. “Here, Thor, take these with you,” Bruce handed over a small bag. “Thermometer, and another inhaler. He should take this one once a day. It’ll help with the asthma. Give him the second one if he has an attack.”

Thor nodded and took the bag, adding the other inhaler to it. He could do that. Steve wasn’t going to leave his sight.

“Keep an eye on his fever,” Bruce continued. “104 is getting to be dangerous, so try to keep it under that. Watch his breathing, too. I put some antibiotic pills in there that should help. Have him take one with breakfast, and one with dinner. I don’t know what sort of equipment you have on  Asgard , but if his lungs fill up with fluid and he can’t breathe, they need to be drained. You can always b r ing him back here if things get that bad .”

Thor nodded again. “Thank you, doctor.” He could practically feel  Steve’s tension behind him.  _ This will be over soon, my friend. I will ensure your suffering is brief and minimal. _

That was that. The group headed to the rooftop, where it was safest for Thor to come and go from, and the least destructive. The prince held Steve close, who was huddled up in his hoodie, looking miserable but hopeful.

“Next time you have to take us with you,” Tony folded his arms over his chest, and Thor chuckled.

“Perhaps one day, friend Stark.”

“Get better,” Natasha smile and offered Steve a small, comforting wave.

Steve smiled back and nodded promisingly, wrapping his arms around Thor’s chest. The prince picked up Mjolnir and faced the heavens. “Heimdall!” he called. It only took a second for the brilliant light to pierce the clouds and snatch them both from the gravel.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It'll only get worse from here.

Asgard would never cease to amaze him. He’d been here twice before, and the novelty hadn’t worn off. Steve straightened his neck to get a better view of the golden kingdom.

Thor was smiling proudly over, fitting his hand through Mjolnir’s strap. “Hold on,” he offered, and Steve unfolded his arms, wrapping them around the prince’s neck. A few spins of the hammer, and they were flying out of the bi-frost and over the rainbow bridge. It made his heart swell seeing it, and knowing that Thor had chosen Earth over this.

They flew straight and true, sailing over the city and onto a low balcony on the side of the palace. Thor landed as quietly as he was able and gave the Captain a quick assessment. “You look very flushed, my friend.”

“Took the wind out of me, that’s all,” Steve caught his breath, only he couldn’t seem to get enough air no matter how long he gave himself.

“The medicines Banner gave  me, do you need them?”

Steve waved him off, shaking his head. He promptly ceased the movement as it irritated his throat and threatened to push a cough through his struggling airways. “No... no, it’s okay.”

“Very well,” Thor didn’t seem convinced, but didn’t pry. He merely linked a supporting arm through the Captain’s and started to lead him into the palace.

They avoided guards as best they could, the adornments on Thor’s armor fading along with his cape, though there was little the prince of Asgard could do to blend in. Still, he knew the halls well and shuffled Steve through them as fast as the other man could handle, stopping only to ask a guard to summon the Eir. By the time they reached their destination, Steve was breathless.

Thor didn’t ask this time, digging out Banner’s bag of supplies and hand ing over the emergency inhaler. “Come, sit.” Steve allowed himself to be guided over and eased sitting, taking the cap off the inhaler and pushing it into his mouth as Tony had done for him. A rush of medicine and a few seconds later, and it was  suddenly  much easier to breathe. 

Steve coughed into his arm and looked up to take in where Thor had brought him. He was sitting on some sort of table in a fairly dim but spacious room. There wasn’t much in terms of supplies or decoration. He handed the inhaler back to Thor and wrapped his arms around his chest, suppressing a shiver.

A small object drifted into his line of sight, and he glanced over in time to catch  Thor wave Bruce’s thermometer in his face, frowning with confusion.

“This device is peculiar,” Thor mused, drawing it back to himself when it beeped and squinting at the small screen. “Midgard is full of surprises.”

“Don’t have thermometers on  Asgard ?” Steve asked quietly, wincing at the lack of strength in his voice. It sounded a tad congested, crackling with each exhale.

“We have other ways gauging a person’s temperature,” Thor explained, sitting beside him and showing him the screen.

Steve took the device from the prince and peered at it. 103.2, not good. He gave the thermometer back to Thor, trying to at least look lively. He doubted it was convincing.

“The  Eir will arrive shortly,” Thor explained, placing a hand on Steve’s shoulder. His blue eyes were so mired with concern it hurt to look at them. “How do you feel?”

“Ever been sick?” Steve asked.

“I have taken ill, yes,” Thor agreed. “It is uncommon amongst our people, and usually borne of poison or some comparable cause. There are sicknesses that can affect us, but I have never contracted one.”

Steve wouldn’t have thought so. He tried to remember what Thor had been like when the Witch’s Cure had been eating away his strength. “It’s... remember on Sakaar? When you were poisoned? You were exhausted and weak and couldn’t do anything about it no matter how hard you tried or how much sleep you got . It’s like that.”

Thor nodded slowly, remembering. “It will pass.”

“It will,” Steve hastily agreed. “I’ve had worse. Several times over. God, believe me... at least I can suffer through this without worrying about a faulty heart... Can still see good , too . That’s a relief... made the headaches worse.”

“You are truly a man of unmatched spirit,” Thor was smiling, and the awe glowing on his face gave Steve strength.

He smiled back. “Thank you.”

“Where a warrior’s body fails him, it is the duty of his companions to care for him,” Thor nodded. “And the duty of a friend.”

“I’ d kiss you right now if we weren’t waiting on company,” Steve’s smile saddened.

“I was unaware my words were seducing you,” Thor grinned and leaned over. For a moment the Captain wondered if he might just go for it and take the kiss all the same. He didn’t.

“You seduced me a long time ago without trying,” Steve chuckled. That was a mistake ; t he movement disturbed his chest and rattled his whole body with rough coughs. Thor put a hand on his chest and another on his back, holding him stable and whispering words of comfort. Clumps of mucus filled his throat, but he swallowed them. It would be rude to spit that out on the floor. What would Thor do at the sight of that, anyway? Pneumonia probably wasn’t something Asgardians had ever encountered.

The bought finally lurched to a stop. Steve tipped sideways with groan that was  as  frustrated as it was tired, letting his head thump onto Thor’s shoulder as he panted and tried to catch his breath for the hundredth time...

“I will save my seducing for later, when you are well enough to engage,” Thor whispered tenderly, drawing him closer with a strong arm.

“ Could handle a kiss...” Steve murmured. “Might cure me.”

“Captain, I was unaware that you believed in such things,” Thor took that opening to lighten the mood.

“After  everythin ’ I've seen, I’m open to  anythin ’,” Steve smiled.

“I am flattered you think me so powerful,” Thor squeezed him tighter, rubbing his shoulder with a strong thumb. He was holding back though, Steve could tell. The demi-god could crush him easily, and Steve wasn’t... he was as human as his other team mates. It was difficult to take the gesture as one of thoughtfulness instead of pity , but t he kiss that pressed into the top of his head helped. Thor would never pity him.

“All better,” Steve muttered, and giggled to himself. His mother’s care had been replaced with Thor’s. The god of thunder. Prince of  Asgard . Nobody could ever replace his mother, but this was a damn good alternative.

The  Eir arrived. Thor spoke to them, helped Steve onto his back and fetched him some pillows, pushing him sitting as much as he could to ease his breathing. He’d have sat with him, held him up if he could, but the  Eir pushed him  to the sidelines . So Thor hung back, protectively observing from as close as they would let him. Orange lights surrounded the table, swirling and rippling. Steve watched, entranced,  and  utterly lost. His foggy brain tried to make sense of anything he was seeing, but the lines and waves fluttering across holographic displays meant nothing to him. Perhaps one was his pulse, but he couldn’t be sure. The women around him looked stern and focused, so he didn’t dare bother them and ask.

“Can you tell what is in him?” Thor asked, snapping Steve awake. He hadn’t even noticed he’d been drifting off...

“There is evil in him,” one woman replied without looking away from her display. “Evil as I have never seen. It saps his strength as we speak.”

“Can it be removed?” Thor’s voice wavered, and Steve looked up to give him a reassuring smile.

“I do not know, Lord Thor,” the woman replied, a tad scolding, but familiar. Steve imagined her telling off the prince throughout his childhood for being impatient, and smiled to himself. 

“I command you time and time again, yet still you do not listen.” Steve’s eyes flew open at the sound of a deep and angered voice. Thor was turning too, backing closer to the table as Odin strode in. Steve held his gaze as the king of  Asgard stared him down with  disapproval before turning to his son. 

“He is ill,” Thor growled. “And with more than what mortals are prone to.”

“I ordered you to keep your Midgard friends where they belong, and yet still you test me by sneaking this one into my kingdom. His life is but a blip against yours. If he  die s today or years from now, it is all the same. Better now before you get too attached to him.” Steve could see where Thor got his temper from, but the prince wasn’t rising to it. His back and shoulders were tense, but his voice was calm and controlled.

“His life is worth more than you know,” Thor rebuffed. “And what lurks inside of him is no mere cough. If it were, I would have entrusted him to my friends on Midgard. This concerns all the Nine Realms. Whatever it is must be removed and destroyed.”

That seemed to get the  Allfather’s attention. Steve almost forgot to breathe as he watched the two men stare each other down, helpless to intervene. Thor shouldn’t have to take the brunt of this, shouldn’t have to quarrel his own father in return for trying to help. But the part about protecting the other realms wasn’t made up, so Steve hung on to that for solace, fighting back guilt.

It wasn’t enough. Odin was storming past his son, a handful of guards entering the room and following as he bore down on the table. Steve had nowhere to go. “Guards, take him back to Midgard. His doctors had  tend to him there. ”

“You will not touch him!” Thor growled, grabbing a guard by the arm and throwing him aside. He reached for another.

The  Eir hurried back as the guards went for Steve, hands reaching out for him none too kindly. A familiar burning sensation ripped the air from his lungs as he turned onto his side and covered his head. Red flashed in his peripheral vision, blinding him. All the strength rushed from his body, people cried out , and weapons clattered to the ground. Then everything was black and silent.

\--

Thor covered his face and ducked away as power exploded out of Steve’s quivering body, scattering the guards like bowling pins. He ignored Odin, ignored everyone else in the room and turned back, running to the table and to Steve. His friend was limp and panting, eyes closed.

“Steve,” Thor coaxed, planting a hand on the Captain’s chest and using the other to take a pulse just like Banner had shown him, counting the beats. They were too fast, fluttery and panicked. Steve didn’t answer. He was unconscious.

Everyone else said nothing. The guards picked themselves up and hung back as Odin stood quietly and watched his son pull out the little bag Banner had given him and extract the thermometer.  _ 104.1...  _ Thor put the thermometer away and sat so he could rest Steve’s head against his shoulder. He stared demandingly at the cluster of people in the room. “There must be something you can do for him!”

“Until we know what resides in him, we can do nothing but analyze,” the lead healer gave a slight dip of her head, apology in her eyes.

Analyze. That’s all anyone seemed capable of. Collect data, and look at it. Thor hated it. He hated that there wasn’t anything he could do. He looked to Odin, but his father was stone-faced, staring at the mortal in the prince’s arms coldly. He said nothing. No-one moved. It was infuriating.

Like an oasis in the desert, Frigga appeared. She pushed past the king and swept toward her son with a smile in her eyes. And she kissed his forehead. “Welcome home,” she whispered, glancing down at the man in his arms. Her expression flashed with anger, but it was gone before she turned. Thor held Steve close as his mother walked right up to Odin, but addressed the guards first . “Leave us,” she commanded, and they did so. “Thor, bring him.”

Thor didn’t waste a second, scooping Steve into his arms and following his mother. Odin moved aside to let him pass, unreadable. The prince didn’t bother looking for something else to say, hot on his mother’s heels.

“Wait.” Thor stopped in the doorway and turned to look at his father. There was remorse there, though small and nearly imperceptible. “My son, wait.  Find  me in the throne room when he is seen to.”

That was worth a smile, and a respectful nod. Thor carried on his way.

Frigga took them to the prince’s room, closing the door behind them. “Put him on the bed,” she instructed, “we can at least care for him while the  Eir look for a cure. I will help them.” There was fear in her eyes as she drew back the blankets.

“Do you know what this is?” Thor asked quietly, settling Steve into his bed. The Captain stirred a little, coughing wetly, but didn’t open his eyes. Frigga arranged the pillows under him while Thor dug a big shirt and a loose pair of pants from his dresser.

“I have my suspicions,” Frigga whispered solemnly as she worked the hoodie off Steve’s limp body, then his shirt. She set her hand to his forehead. “You  are  correct: it is a great evil. Something known as the  Aether . If I am right, then it is very much Odin’s concern , especially as the Convergence approaches . The Nine Realms could be in great danger. You were right to bring Steve here, none-the-less. I doubt your other friends could have done much for him.”

“Their knowledge and perseverance would shock you, mother,” Thor smiled as he watched her dress his friend. “With enough time, they would have found a way.”

“ Time he does not have,” Frigga finished his thoughts and looked up to him. “Go, speak with your father. I will look after him until you return.” She smiled reassuringly back.

Thor wouldn’t have trusted anyone but his mother . She would care for him as he were her own. He produced the bag from his armor and passed it to her. “My friends gave me this for him,” he explained, pointing to one of the inhalers.  “ If he struggles to breathe, you can give him this. It will help.”

“I think I can handle it,” Frigga chuckled, setting down the bag.

Thor couldn’t help himself, could hardly bear to tear himself out of this room and away from Steve’s side. He squeezed the Captain’s hand and pressed a kiss into his burning forehead. Frigga only nodded approvingly when he glanced up at her, and he blushed a little, turning away. It would be foolish to hide such a thing from his mother, but her open approval still fluttered his heart. Embarrassment was soon overtaken by worry, which pushed speed into his steps.

Odin was waiting for him in the throne room, pacing. He stopped and looked up as his son entered. “How does he fare?”

“He is very sick,” Thor replied, saving his surprise at the concern for later. Odin’s voice was cold, but the question itself revealed the king’s emotions. _I knew you were not so cruel._

“And the cause of this is what courses through his blood?”

“Yes,” Thor agreed.  _ So to speak... it is more complicated than that, but I will spare you the details.  _ "Mother believes it to be the Aether.”

At that, Odin’s mask cracked. His eye flared with alarm. “And the Convergence is upon us.”

“What significance is that?” the prince implored. “You seem  worried , Father.”

“Some tales of old are more than tales,” Odin clasped his hands behind his back. “You remember the stories told to you as a boy, about the great evil your grandfather vanquished centuries ago?”

“Against the dark elf Malekith, yes I remember,” Thor nodded. “The Aether was his weapon.”

“That it was,” Odin agreed. “ Malekith may be long dead, but the  Aether remains, and as long as it does it is a threat. I do not know how your mortal friend happened upon it, but it must be removed from him and returned to a safe hiding place. If his body deteriorates before we can extract it, there is no telling where it will go, nor who may find themselves the unwilling host. He is already holding remarkably strong against it, Thor, we must not push our luck.”

“Then, the  Eir can continue to treat him,” Thor pressed. “He may stay here?”

“Yes,” Odin agreed, fixing his son with a sharp stare of warning. “But only until he is well. Then he is to return immediately to Midgard , never to return.”

It was best not to push his luck. Thor calmly nodded in polite agreement, too relieved to muster the urge to argue. Steve could stay here without the looming threat of being tossed out. He would be safe.

“Go, care for him,” Odin shooed him off with a hand, and Thor took his chance, offering a thank-you and hurrying away.

There was only one more stop to make. Thor didn’t go back to Steve straight away, as much as his heart ached to do so. Instead, he slipped away into the prison block.

“Back so soon, brother.” Loki stood tall and calculating as always, peering down at the prince as if it was quite normal for him to be spending time here, locked away in a cell. “Did you grow bored of Midgard’s petty quarrels?”

“The conflicts that erupted within the Nine Realms have been taken care of,” Thor calmly replied. “There are no quarrels here that require my intervention.”

“Then why are you here?” There was a barb of accusation there, and Thor knew why: Loki had taken the Tesseract back to the  Asgard after it had been retrieved months ago, had curved Odin’s wrath once again and landed himself back in down here, in his cell. 

“To ask for your advice,” Thor replied. “You remember the story we were told as children, of the dark elves nearly destroying the Nine Realms with the Aether? It is real.”

“All tales are based on truth,” Loki calmly rebutted.

“The  Aether is here,” Thor stated, and at that managed a slight rise from his stoic brother.

“I do not wish to know by what means,” Loki nearly scoffed, but Thor knew him too well to miss it. He smiled a little.

“It is in Steven.”

Loki actually scoffed this time. “ Of course it is. The pair of you are idiots. You ’ re perfect for each other. An d what on Earth could you possibly want me for? You wish me to remove it from him and take it into myself? Oh, the things I could do with power like that, brother.”

Thor patiently endured the ribbing, fully deserving every word of it. His poor decisions led by a childish need for blood had often caused Loki grief. “I simply wish to know if you have knowledge on the Aether. You have more knowledge of magic than I, and a gift for it.”

If  Loki was pleased by the compliment, he didn’t show it. Certainly not when he turned his back and walked to the back wall of his cell. “Why not ask Mother? I learned my magic from her.”

“She is going to help the Eir,” Thor agreed. “But you may have studied books which she has not, or may have forgotten. You may have an angle the rest of us ha ve not considered.”

“You must be desperate to come to me for help,” Loki snorted,  back s t ill t urned.

“Desperate? No,” Thor stepped a little closer to the cell. “That is not why I came here.”

“If you wish to butter me with complements, I will ask you to leave,” Loki quietly replied.

“Please. If we linger, he may die, and even if we do not the Nine Realms  may still suffer .”  _ I know that you care, Loki, your pretenses of detachment cannot fool me. You have done too much for me, and too much for Steve. I am not a fool despite my tendency to behave like one. _

“I have no concern for the Nine Realms,” Loki barked , “and no concern for  Asgard .” There was a long pause. Something seemed to  fall away from his brother, a tightness or perhaps one of his many masks. His head lowered a little, back ever turned and face hidden. “Very well, for you.”

And Thor grinned openly. Loki indulged.

“If what I have read about the  Aether is true, then it cannot be destroyed whilst inside a host. You must find a way to remove it from the Captain,” Loki spun around, and Thor dropped his smile immediately, nodding pensively. The god narrowed his eyes a little, but continued. “It must be draw out of him by someone who intends to take it on as the new host. I could possibly do that. You would then have to find some way of destroying it as it traveled from one host to the next.”

That was better than nothing. “Thank you,” Thor breathed. “Thank you.”

“I will be here if you require more of me,” Loki turned back around, and Thor took his leave.

When he returned to his room, Frigga was waiting for him as promised, wetting a washcloth in a bowl and humming to herself. And Steve was awake.

The Captain stared blearily up at the ceiling, panting through parted lips. He looked terrible to say the least , but lucid. He turned his head a little as Thor burst in.

The prince shut the door behind him and rushed over, grabbing Steve’s arm and stroking back his soaking forelock. “Steven.”

Steve smiled and shut his eyes, his pleased expression twisting into a wince as he coughed so hard it bent his torso off the bed. Thor steadied him, and Frigga pressed a cool cloth into his forehead.

“My father has agreed to allow your residence,” Thor breathed, glancing at his mother.

“Good... s’good,” Steve smiled again. “Don’t want a fight...”

“ Y ou have chosen the wrong household to take residence in then, dear,” Frigga chuckled, giving the Captain’s arm a comforting rub. “I’ll leave the pair of you alone and make you some tea for that cough.”

“Be great,” Steve heaved gratefully. “Thank you, ma’am.”

“Of course,” the woman swept from the room.

Thor sighed and took her place, sitting in the chair thoughtfully brought in. His hands were twitching anxiously, so he reached out for the cloth before Steve noticed and wiped the Captain’s flushed face and ghostly pale neck. He wet it again and folded down the blanket, pressing the cloth into Steve’s chest and shoulders.

Steve shivered, and Thor replaced the cloth to his forehead, reaching for the thermometer. “We will find a way of removing this curse yet,” he reassured quietly.

“Be okay,” Steve finally seemed to get a bit more air into starved and congested lungs, fixing Thor with a confident stare. “I will be.”

“Am I not the one who should be reassuring you?” Thor chuckled, leaning forward to press a kiss into Steve’s dry lips.

“Consider me reassured,” Steve whispered, pleasure flooding his glowing cheeks.

“A promise of more to come, when this has passed,” Thor held up the thermometer and read the number. “104 precisely. A mild improvement.”

“Can I have another kiss, then?” Steve tried, some semblance of his usual cheeky energy glinting in his eyes.

Thor leaned tantalizingly close, so that their noses just brushed. “I bring you into my kingdom, and yet you ask more of me? I am a prince, you know.”

“ d’make me feel better,” Steve murmured.

“Perhaps I could spare one more,” Thor taunted, but he couldn’t say no to that face. Steve knew it, probably knew just how soft he looked too. Those eyes were so damp and shiny. He couldn’t  tease for long, making the connection.

Steve kissed back, weak but willing. He wrapped his arm around the prince’s back, the gesture lacking any strength. Thor stayed close, letting the Captain take control until his limit was reached . That limit was quite small. Steve buried his face in Thor’s shoulder with a soft groan, shivering with exertion and wheezing hot breaths. The prince reached up for his neck, wrapping his other hand around his back. Steve immediately went limp the second he no longer had to hold on with his own strength.

They sat like that until Steve’s breathing evened out again, and Thor lowered him back to the pillows, wetting the cloth again and replacing it. “This may be a foolish question, but how do you feel?”

Steve chuckled at that, the sound faint and weak as he restrained himself from moving too much lest he disturb his chest. Or maybe that was all he could muster anyway. “Feel great.”

“Do not mock my concern,” Thor smiled. “You  can barely keep your eyes open, yet you have the energy to be troublesome .”

“ S’my civic duty, ” Steve’s grin was weak, but his eyes conveyed everything he needed. “Be bored.”

_ That I would, _ Thor silently agreed. At least Steve was well enough to jest. It put some of his worry to rest.  The least he could do was return the favor.  “While you are in the mood for favors, is there anything else I can fetch for you , Your Highness ?”

“ M’good ,” Steve closed his eyes, and he looked truly content despite his deplorable state.  The Captain’s eyes suddenly whipped back open, and there was alarm there.  “Stay?”

“You are in my room,” Thor chuckled, wrapping his hand around Steve’s. “Where else would I go? Of course I will stay.”

“ S’all I need, then.” Steve s ighed . Thor didn’t move his hand away.

Frigga appeared a few minutes later with a tray of tea in her hands. She set it down and reached out to rub h er son’s shoulders. “I will go speak with the Eir,” she whispered, “and I will return for dinner. He has much strength, Thor.”

“There is nothing else in this realm, nor any other, that I know more than that,” Thor smiled, but he was grateful for the sentiment, and for her help. Her support was grounding.

Frigga left them, and Thor leaned over to rouse Steve with a gentle shake of his shoulders. The Captain groaned and fought heavy eyelids apart.

“Medicine,” Thor explained quietly. “It will make you feel better.” He severely hoped so. Human ailments would surely be no match for his mother’s tea. Steve rubbed his eyes and watched the prince pour out a steaming mug from a beautiful clay teapot inscribed with ancient runes – a healing spell. He held out his hand and Thor pressed the mug into it, guiding it to his lips just in case his grip failed. It didn’t. Steve lifted his other hand and gripped the mug tightly, sipping from it shakily. Thor let go and watched, hovering.

“S’good,” Steve smiled, letting the steam waft up his nose. “Feel better.”

“Then drink,” Thor urged.  _ Bless you, mother. _

Steve obeyed, working through the mug in silence as Thor recounted tales of old battles and adventures with his friends. By the time the mug was empty, Steve looked a little more awake, and his breathing had slightly improved. Thor was about to suggest another mug-full, but Captain was already losing to sleep, eyes falling shut again. Thor retrieved the empty mug and put it aside, letting him have the rest he desperately needed. He was easily awoken again later in the evening.

As promised, Frigga returned with dinner. While she laid out the tray, Thor worked the cap off the small orange container of pills Bruce had given him. Steve eyed him quietly, sipping his second cup of tea and looking slightly more alive than he had when he’d fallen asleep hours ago.

“Here,” Thor placed a pill in Steve’s palm and exchanged his tea for some water. Humans could put all kinds of things into a pill. It was miraculous. Somehow, this little capsule would aid the Captain’s lung infection.

Steve swallowed the pill and took a couple of sips of water, quiet and sullen, not to mention worryingly still. It was always a reassurance when the soldier fidgeted and  proclaimed he was well, because it meant he had the energy to do so. Right now, his body looked heavy and reluctant, perfectly still against the pillows.

“The  Eir continue their research,” Frigga promised with a soft touch to Steve’s shoulder.  Sh e plucked the glass from his hand and replaced it with a bowl of soup broth. “So far we have found nothing.”

Steve didn’t look all that hungry, holding the bowl and staring into the  golden - brown liquid. But he just nodded and took a sip, holding the rim against his lips. He seemed to enjoy hot steam up through his nose. It certainly relieved the congestion.

“I spoke with Loki,” Thor explained, turning to his mother while Steve drank in silence, but still listening. “He thinks the  Aether can only be removed if someone draws it out with the intention of hosting it. He said we cannot destroy it if it is in someone. He... also suggested he might be able to draw it out.”

Frigga set a plate in Thor’s lap and placed her hand on his head. “He may very well be right.”

“You wouldn’t let him do that, would you?” they both looked up, and Steve was looking up at them, alarm livening his features. He set his bowl in his lap. “It’d kill him.”

“As it is killing you,” Thor calmly returned.  _ You worry for my brother’s safety, regardless of his crimes. I have no doubt the two of you would become friends under better circumstances.  _ “I have considered it, yes. It would do less damage to him than it is to you, Steven, and it would only cause harm if we could not destroy it before then.”

Steve’s expression twisted with displeasure, but he offered no further comment, picking up his bowl again and continuing to sip at the broth. Thor had never seen him eat so slowly. Usually, the two of them were on par with how much they could eat , and with comparable eagerness . Of course, without the serum functioning, Steve’s metabolism would resemble a normal person’s, but it was concerning all the same to watch the soldier force down every mouthful.

Finally, he couldn’t eat anymore. Thor paused his own meal when Steve set down the bowl, a little green fading into his pallor. “I can’t, m’sorry. Feel sick.” His voice was soft and shy, deeply apologetic as he cast a glance up at Frigga. She smiled understandingly and took the bowl from him.

“That’s alright,” she assured, returning him his tea. “Here, this may settle your stomach. I will leave something here for you in case you find your appetite.”

Thor inspected the  large  bowl, consoling himself that it was at least half empty. He waved  Banner’s thermometer at Steve’s face again, and the Captain paused with curiosity drenched in dread. “103.9,” Thor announced proudly, giving a double thumbs-up. Earth gestures were peculiar, but pleasing.

“Good, that’s good...” Steve sighed. “Feel better.”

“Sleep. If you continue to  improve I can take you for some more exploration of Asgard tomorrow ,” Thor offered.

“I’d like that,” Steve smiled, finishing the last few drops of tea and settling into the sheets with a soft cough. Frigga left them to get back to work, and Thor sat back to watch until he heard faint snores rattling Steve’s drowning lungs.

He was alone,  un scrutinized . Thor scrubbed his face with his hands, worn. Despite the improvements, he still felt helpless. Despite all of Doctor Banner’s instruction, he still felt woefully unqualified. He probably was. What could he possibly hope to do if this took a turn for the worst? At least Odin had given this stay his blessing, and the  Eir would be allowed to help if things went wrong.  _ More wrong than they already  _ _ are _ _ ... _

Thor gathered his composure and finished his dinner, not particularly hungry  either  but determined to take care of himself for Steve’s sake. He could hear the Captain’s voice in his ear now, scolding him for worrying too much, for letting his own needs slide.  _ And you would be right. I cannot take care of you if I myself require taking care of. In times where a warrior’s strength fails him, it is the duty of his companions to offer up theirs. If I let my own strength fail, I in turn fail you.  _ And that was something he hoped to never do.

Uneasy, Thor stood up. He wet the cloth on Steve’s forehead and took another temperature just to reassure himself, afraid for a moment that the number had jumped, but it hadn’t ; it was unchanged. The prince schooled his thoughts and got undressed, throwing on something lighter and more casual before carefully crawling into his massive bed beside Steve. He nestled close, keeping one arm atop the Captain’s chest. Assured there was nothing left for him to do but sleep, Thor closed his eyes and tried not to think too much.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Bout time for some action B) and a bit of plot development.
> 
> Having a little trouble with my artistic muse, so I would love to hear what scenes you'd like to see drawn! From this or either of my other stories, or something new! I do write and draw for my own amusement, but it's 100x more enjoyable when I have other people to enjoy it with <3 thank you for you comments as always, and let me know what kind of art you'd like to see!

Steve was far too ill to dream, and not feverish enough to be delirious. The result was a deep and restful sleep, yet when he awoke, he didn’t feel much better. Over the course of his pre-serum years, pneumonia had never drained him quite as thoroughly as this. It was worrisome, to say the least.

_ There goes a tour around  _ _ Asgard _ _ ... _ He’d have liked that very much, but he knew there was no way he could summon the energy to go for a walk if he could barely get his eyes open. At least he was waking up. That was a relief. He knew where he was, and that that blurry shape at his bedside was Thor.

It took a great deal of willpower to get his hand off the blankets and rub sleep from his eyes.  _ God _ _ I hate being sick... _ It was reassuring to see his own body tucked under the blankets. The shape was undefined, but large. He was still tall, still in possession of this  muscled body. 

“104,” Thor announced quietly, and Steve shut one eye as cold water dribbled into it and a hand pushed on his forehead. He blinked his eye clear and turned his head to peer at the demi-god, but couldn’t think of anything to say. Thor filled in for him. “The healers are hard at work,” he promised sincerely, and though unwell, Steve could still analyze an expression. He knew Thor’s face all too well, and knew when he was distressed.

“ S’wrong ?”  _ Dumb question. He’s worried.  _ Protesting that Thor shouldn’t be worried about him would be stupid, and even the stupid part of his brain knew that.  _ All _ of him knew he must look like a wreck. As some consolation, the Captain tried to push himself up a little, move around, look livelier. It backfired horribly, the slightest shift of his upper body setting off a violent coughing fit. At least he had the decency to blush as Thor steadied him.

The prince gave him a sad but endeared smile, offering him a pill and glass of water when the fit was over. His thicker hand hovered over Steve’s as the Captain moved the glass to his mouth. “I am not suited for these things,” the demi-god admitted, a tad bashful. For someone with such a square, solid face and strong features, soft emotions suited him.  A smile could instantly soften chiseled cheeks, drawing attention to dark eyelashes and smooth lips hidden under his full beard.

“ S’a lie  f’I ever heard one,” Steve intended to scoff, but it probably sounded more like a sigh. “Doin’ great.”

“You or me?” Thor tried for a light laugh, but there was no humor in it.

“Both of us.”

“There is little I can do for you,” Thor argued, as if desperate to be inadequate. He was scared. Steve wished there was some way  to reassure the demi-god once and for all that his efforts were enough. They’d  _ always _ been enough.

“Not much else  _ to _ do,” Steve sighed, and it didn’t take much effort to smile. “Just wait.”

“I do not like waiting,” Thor admitted softly, and he looked  _ embarrassed. _

“Me neither,” Steve agreed sympathetically. This was difficult for both of them, probably more-so for Thor: he had to sit back and watch the suffering of his friend with no way to know if his efforts meant anything.

They were silent for a few minutes as Thor held an apple in his hand and cut slices off with a small knife, pushing bite-sized pieces into Steve’s mouth one at a time. When the fruit was finished, the prince uncapped the daily-prescribed inhaler  slid it between Steve’s parted lips. The mist that clung to his throat definitely helped ease  restricted airways .

Steve licked his lips and hung on to the mug of tea Thor offered. He’d have loved to bring some back and have Banner analyze it... this stuff was magical. It cleared up the fevered haze from his eyes and gave him the strength to keep them open.

“I take it this is not the first time you have suffered this illness,” Thor guessed, regarding him as usual with sympathy void of pity.

“Lots,” Steve agreed, savoring his tea. He’d have expected it to taste foul, as all good medicines seemed to, but it was very pleasant to drink. “I had weak lungs, a weak immune system, pretty much weak everything. ‘part from a  fightin ’ spirit. Buck always said I was too stubborn for my own good.”

“That is true,” Thor agreed readily. “Though  your stubbornness has saved my life on several occasions.”

Steve laughed, and this time managed to do so without hacking up his insides. “You’re pretty stubborn yourself.”

“We are a good pair, then,” Thor rested his  face on his palm, squishing his cheek into his eye, an enamored smile curling his lips. It was enough to draw a blush into Steve’s fevered flush, reddening the rest of his face and neck. It didn’t matter how long they’d been together; there were a lot of things that would always leave him blushing like a schoolgirl. 

A thought occurred to him. “Do you guys... date on Asgard?”

Thor frowned. “It is a term I have heard used, but I am not certain. There are periods of courtship between partners which may  resemble Earth customs , yes.”

“Well, maybe when we get  back we should go on one, officially,” Steve suggested.

That brightened Thor’s face immediately. “Where would we go?”

“I  dunno ... walk on the beach, maybe?  Dunno what people usually do on dates. Never been on one.  Tony’d know... I’ll ask him,” Steve shut his eyes for a moment. He was pretty sure he and Thor had probably been on what normal human s would consider a ‘date’, but they had never been ‘dating’, per-say.  _ What’s not normal about that, a Norse god and a World War Two vet slash super-soldier dating?  _ The concept of dating itself was weird to him, like a prize he’d never thought he would possess. There had never been anyone interested in him at first, and no dames that had took his fancy. He hadn’t known men would be of interest. Even when Peggy had entered his life, he’d never envisioned dating her. The war had preoccupied him. Maybe someday he’d have retired and had the life with her that had always felt like a fantasy.  B etween waking up and joining the Avengers, dating hadn’t been on his mind at all.

Well, hadn’t life just taken an unexpected turn. As soon as the portal had swallowed him and Thor together, he’d been doomed. There was no way he could do better: regardless of what the prince  proclaimed, he was a selfless caretaker.

“There are many places on Midgard that interest me,” Thor agreed. “I would enjoy exploring a beach.”

“Good, let’s do it,” Steve’s blush was restored.

“I swear on Mjolnir,” Thor grinned back. It was settled.

\--

His fever wasn’t getting any better. It had leveled, but that wasn’t good enough. Not for Thor. He was clearly itching to be useful beyond providing entertainment. Steve didn’t have the mental capacity for a card game, or the focus to draw, and was quickly losing the energy to hold up conversation. Thor was twitchy, and trying not to be. He was doing remarkably well, and Steve actually found it incredibly comforting.

The prince needed something to fight, and th is fever was just asking to be pummeled. The demi-god ducked out for a moment with a soft word, returning with determination in his eyes and cloths in his arms. He folded down the blankets and grabbed Steve’s shirt by the hem, working it gently off the Captain’s upper body so as not to disturb his lungs. Steve shivered, but allowed himself to be moved. He couldn’t muster much strength to resist or help anyway. 

Thor was quiet as he soaked a handful of cloths and started to lay them around strategic areas. Steve watched him, shivering and  longing to curl up in the blankets as the prince wrapped cold clothes around his biceps and neck, draping another across his stomach. Uncomfortable as he was, he had to admit it made him a feel a bit more invigorated.

Falling in love was like putting on glasses, but instead of seeing the world clearly, you saw another person and appreciated their details. Something he’d admired from the first minute they’d spent together on  Sakaar was how delicate Thor’s hands could be. He’d seen the demi-god pick up chunks of building like they were nothing and hurl them hundreds of feet, but those same hands were pressing into his forehead with impeccable control.

“You remind me of my mother,” Steve murmured without thinking.

“I hope your mother did not have a beard,” Thor quirked a smile, but he seemed pleased.

“No, she didn’t,” Steve laughed. “Remind me of Bucky, too. Pretended to be all tough, but deep down he was soft as a kitten.”

“I make no pretenses of my strength,” Thor remarked, tipping his head just a little.

“I know, I know,” Steve placated. “Don’t give yourself  credit though... Gentlest person I ever met.”

He meant it, every word. Thor was easily the strongest person he’d ever met too, but the fact that he had so much control of it made him the gentlest, too. There were plenty of people who didn’t have the strength to break people, but Thor did. Thor could have crushed him if he wasn’t careful, even if the serum were working. But he didn’t, hadn’t. 

“Go to sleep, Steve,” Thor replied, smiling just a little. “I will be here.”

\--

Steve didn’t know how long he’d slept for, but when he  awoke he felt marginally better. Thor’s cold cloths were still wrapped around his pale body, but the blankets had been thrown off his legs. Someone was  shaking his shoulder urgently.

“Steven, we must go.” A woman’s voice, a gentle hand pulling the cloths off of him and helping him sit, tugging his shirt over his head. The woman grabbed his face. “Steven, wake up!”

Steve blinked his eyes into full focus and looked up at Frigga. There was a sword strapped to her waist.

“We must go. Can you stand?”

Steve shoved his feet under him and dropped his weight onto them. The queen kept a strong arm on his bicep as a rush of dizziness threatened to drop him. She pressed a cup into his hand.

“Drink. It will give you some strength,” she ordered, and he obeyed, throwing back the mouthful of strong tea. She was right: he immediately felt more awake.

Steve snatched his emergency inhaler off the table and turned. “Let’s go,” he nodded, though he didn’t know where they were going nor why. Frigga took his wrist and set a brisk walking pace, and he followed along as fast as he could, lungs rattling with every strained breath.

“The castle is under attack,” Frigga explained as she led him through the corridors, picking up the pace as much as he could handle, continually checking over her shoulder to make sure he was alright. “They are here for you.”

That nearly stole away what little breath he had. He could hear fighting echoing distantly, and guns firing from outside. “For the Aether?”

“Yes,” Frigga confirmed.

Steve pulled back. Even if the serum were working and he had all its strength, he doubted he could have resisted the queen. Still, she paused for him, worriedly looking him over. He waved his hand, opening his mouth to tell her that he was fine, but he couldn’t get the words out. His throat was closing up, a cough threatening to steal whatever strength was keeping him upright and moving. Quickly, he uncapped his inhaler and shoved it in his mouth, taking a quick puff as the queen watched him remorsefully. When he could breathe, he looked her in the eyes with all of Captain America’s confidence. “Leave me. I won’t be the cause of your people’s suffering.”

“And let  Malekith have the  Aether ?” Frigga scoffed at him, light in her eyes. She was smiling at him, taking his wrist again. “No, my dear, I think not.  Asgard has defeated the dark elves in the past, we can defeat them again. Thor goes to fight them as we speak. We must get you somewhere safe.”

Steve didn’t have a choice. Frigga pulled on his arm, and he followed, setting his jaw and jogging after her. If he only had his strength, he could have fought. But like this? Like this, he would only get in the way. That hurt more than the burn of his starving airways and mucus-filled chest.

“My queen, Thor sent help-” another voice joined, and cut itself off. Steve turned toward the sound of footsteps and saw Sif there, staring at him with mixtures of surprise and contempt as she came along Frigga’s other side, sword drawn.

There was no time for any more words. A few feet ahead burst a small squadron of enemies, who Steve could only guess were the dark elves. He slid to a stop behind Frigga as the queen drew her weapon.

“Lady Sif, take Steven to the armory. He will be safe there. If they find you, escape through the stables.” Frigga let go of Steve’s wrist and swapped the sword to her other hand.

Steve was about to protest, but the expression on the queen’s face shut him up. She would be fine. That’s _ where Thor gets that from, _ he thought. Unfortunately, Sif didn’t give him much time to dwell; she was cutting across the hallway and grabbing his wrist roughly, tugging him down a small side corridor none too gently. The grip shouldn’t have hurt, but it did.  _ That’ll bruise... _

She wasn’t going slow, either. Steve did his best to keep up, bare feet slapping on the polished floors almost as loudly as his grating breaths. Sif took no pity on him, not even when he stumbled and fell, nearly dragging her down with him. She let go, and he smashed to the floor, coughing up his abused lungs and fumbling with his inhaler.

The warrior glared down at him, but let him take his medicine, contempt hot in her eyes. Luckily, she said nothing, yanking him to his feet so fast he almost dropped the inhaler. There was no way he could keep up with her, and he was about to plead that she leave him behind, save him the humiliation, but she just ran at him and dug her shoulder into his stomach. It forced a surprised gasp out of his mouth as she scooped him off the ground and picked up the pace again while he bounced on her shoulder.

_ Please let this end... _ It was painfully humiliating, but he knew that he couldn’t keep up with her in his state. Frigga’s tea may have given him some strength, but he could already feel that draining away. Another cough was teasing him from the bottom of his throat, and he could only hold it back so long.

Finally, Sif set him down, and she wasn’t gentle about it, dropping him off her shoulder onto the hard tile of the armory. Steve barely caught himself, gasping like a fish out of water. He was going to be covered in bruises when this was over...  _ Let it be over soon. Please, Thor, just let them take it. Get it out of me... _

He rolled onto his back, wincing and starting to sit up but lacking the strength to. It was utterly infuriating.  _ Good for  _ _ nothin _ _ ’ body... 260 pounds of muscle and I can’t use a damn ounce of it.  _ He’d probably lost weight since the incident in London, with all the time he’d spent lying around uselessly.

_ Boom –  _ the armory doors closed, and Sif dropped the locks shut. He heard her boots as she stalked over, saw her face enter his vision. She looked angry, eyes flaring with pent-up rage. Steve instinctively lifted his arms to protect himself, ready for a fight.

“You brought this here!” she roared, throwing her sword aside. “You brought this to our kingdom! Terror and fire and  _ death! _ "

Steve covered his  head, it was all he could do as she closed the distance. He was too weak to fight her.  _ Let her. She hates me, always has. Let her do what she needs to. Kick the shit out of me if it makes you feel better.  _ This was just as familiar as the fluid drowning him from the inside, taking the brunt of  other people’s rage. Only, he’d defended himself back then... 

“You understand  _ nothing, _ yet time and time again you involve yourself in a world you don’t belong!” She was upon him, and though there was intent to harm in her demeanor, she couldn’t seem to decide what she wanted to do. She was holding back.

It was too late. She had gotten too close too fast, and her aggression had set something off inside him. Steve couldn’t defend himself, but the  Aether was more than capable, greedily eating up what strength he could offer and flinging Sif into the far wall. She struck the door with a massive thud, and weapons rattled throughout the room. Steve blacked out.

When he awoke, it couldn’t have been more than a few minutes later; Sif still sat against the door, panting and disheveled, staring at him as he coughed weakly. It was a miracle that he managed to sit up, drenched in sweat, the whole room rippling like a gently disturbed pond. Neither of them said a word as Steve used his shirt to wipe his face, separating it from his soaking wet chest. He grasped his head and pressed his palms into his temples in an attempt to nurse his headache. It did barely anything.

His senses cleared as much as they would. Steve coughed again but forced himself to stand, his legs shaking just as badly as the rest of his body. He was about to go down. 

Sif stood up, grumbling. “Oh my– come here,” she growled, stomping over and tugging his arm across her shoulders. He didn’t feel bad about dropping all his weight onto her. She had already proved she could take it. The warrior practically carried him to the side of the room and sat him down on a bench, lowering him a tad slower than before. Steve let out his cough, and she watched him with her stern mask firmly in place.

Finally he spoke, arms wrapped tightly around his body and his breaths wheezy. He looked up at her, and it was tough not to be resentful or angry. “What do you want from me?”

Sif snorted and looked away. There was some guilt in her eyes as she straightened her mussed hair. “You have caused nothing but trouble since you first stepped foot in this realm,  _ mortal. _ ”

Steve growled. He didn’t want to believe that, but part of him did. He hadn’t just been trouble, had he? Thor had enjoyed the party when they’d returned from  Sakaar , right? And the plan to sneak out of  Asgard to fetch the Tesseract hadn’t been Steve’s at all, he’d just followed along. And on the ice planet, his injured leg had caused some problems, but in the  end it had worked out, hadn’t it? He’d gone in to get Thor out. Didn’t  that count for something?

He had nothing to say to her in defense. Maybe nothing he  _ could _ say would change her mind. Maybe she would dislike no matter what. Maybe all he could do was stay out of her way.

But he had to try. “I’m sorry,” he offered quietly, and he meant it.

She seemed taken aback by that, fire flashing in her eyes. Then she narrowed them at him, searching his face. He let her in silence. Finally, the warrior snorted and turned on her heel, stalking to the door for her fallen sword. “Just stay out of the way. You are in no condition to fight. I could never look Thor in the eyes if something happened to you under my watch.”

The bitterness did not go unnoticed. But Steve said nothing. He just stood up and stretched tired muscles, joints popping. His wrists were already bruising, as were his arms where he’d fallen. There  were likely more blossoming on his hip and shoulder. It didn’t matter. He summoned his will, and forced it all to the sidelines, the pain and fatigue, the aches and cries his tired body was sending to his brain to convince him to rest. He couldn’t.

Instead, he picked a short sword off the rack next to his head and strapped the weapon to his back. Then he grabbed a round shield off the wall and came to stand beside Sif.

She cast him a mocking glance. “Your funeral,” she spat, but he could see through the ruse to the awe there. That was enough for him. That pride would carry him through whatever might come their way.

Something  _ did _ come their way, and it pounded on the door with immense force. The whole room rattled. Steve lifted his shield and tightened his grip on his sword. Sif did the same, settling into a stance and casting a skeptical glance at Steve’s hunched posture and slick, white skin. She was right: he was in no shape to fight. He was in no shape to be  _ up _ .

But the queen of  Asgard was fighting a battle he had brought here. Steve would be damned if he didn’t do his part. Being the weakest, sickest person in the room had never stopped him before. 

The doors blasted off the walls and flew inward. Steve ducked, and they sailed over his head. He straightened and came face-to-face with a huge figure with fire crackling under his skin and horns on his head. Glowing yellow eyes settled on the Captain, and the large attacker yelled a deep and triumphant cry. A small swarm of dark  elves streamed in past him.

There was no way Steve could beat anyone in this state. He could feel his fever had increased since his most recent burst of power, and he couldn’t do any better than the short breaths his congested lungs were pulling. But he was remembering what his serum-enhanced body had known. There was a fraction of his previous strength behind the kick he threw at the nearest enemy, but his muscles knew what to do.

The kick probably hurt him more than it hurt the enemy, but it bolstered his confidence. Steve ignored the fact that he couldn’t breathe and swung his sword, slicing the elf he’d just kicked wide open. The body collapsed, leaving two more in his place. The large horned one was pointing at him, commanding in a language that reminded him of the orcs from Lord of the Rings.  _ Not the time, Rogers. Focus. _ Funny how he could never remember anything when Tony was making jabs.

Sif couldn’t take on all these guys at once. Steve could at least try to kill one or two while she whirled and danced with just as much power as ever. Maybe it was stupid to think she needed his help...

The big one was getting closer, taking his time while the smaller minions swarmed Steve. They were tiring him out (not that he needed much), ensuring he wouldn’t be able to escape. Escape wasn’t an option. Steve managed to block a shot from a gun with his shield, but the force nearly knocked him over. Too dizzy to aim, he slashed his sword out wildly and by luck alone managed to injure another elf badly enough to protect himself.

“Steve!” Sif shouted, and he only barely managed to swing his sword and deflect what would have been a mortal blow to his chest. The sudden twist brought on spluttering coughs. Through tears gathering in his eyes he noticed a blurry black-and-tan form descending on him. Steve dropped his sword so he could brace his shield with both hands, lifting it over his head to catch the downward-swinging sword. The blow crumpled his knees, and he dropped to the floor with a gasp of pain. That would bruise as well...

It only took another strike to take him down, the sword clashing with his shield and sprawling him on his side. Steve winced and growled through gritted teeth, pushing harder even though there was nothing left for his body to give him.  _ What’s new? _ He’d fought beyond his limits with the serum, well before the serum, too. With a burst of adrenaline, he dug his heels into the floor and slid his body back several feet in time to avoid a downward-stabbing blade and a handful of blaster shots.

He’d almost forgotten about the  Aether . Its presence was there, pushing at his mind, trying to take over.  _ Not today. _ Steve stood up. He blocked two more shots with his shield, then he threw it. It wasn’t enough force to kill, not without his usual  vibranium shield and his enhanced strength, but it was enough to render someone unconscious. The silver disk bounced off the heads of both elves battling Sif, and they fell to the floor. Steve didn’t give her any warning. He just ran for her, launching himself at her body and taking them both to the ground. With one push of willpower, he summoned the Aether willingly.

Tendrils exploded from his body, the raw power burning all through his body so badly he cried out and squeezed Sif with both hands. Crimson waves knocked aside the unwelcome occupants of the room. As weapons wielded by the enemy and hanging on the walls clattered loudly to the ground, Steve blacked out for the second time that day.

When he opened his eyes, he was on his back, staring at the armory ceiling. It was much harder to rouse himself this time, and by the time he could see somewhat clearly, Sif was leaning over him, sheathing her bloody sword.

“I finished them off,” she explained, bending down to pick something up. “The big one got away. We must pursue him.”

And she handed him his inhaler. Steve plucked it from her hand, speechless.

“You were not this  weak when we last fought together,” Sif remarked, and the statement wasn't as barbed as it could have been. There was a slight pause before she held out her hand. There was no pause when he took it.

The warrior was gradual as she pulled him sitting, then pushed herself under his arm and lifted him standing. She didn’t pull away either as she led him to the door. Steve accepted her help, not that he had much choice. He took a puff of his inhaler, but it didn’t make much difference. “There’s a... there’s something in my blood that makes me strong,” Steve explained quietly. He wouldn’t have thought his voice could get raspier, but it was. “I couldn’t get sick, and I healed really fast. But the  Aether shut it off somehow. Didn’t take me long to come down with something.”

Sif didn’t say anything as she helped him down the corridor. Her expression was too hard to read, so he gave up, relenting to his headache and resorting to guessing.

“I don’t blame you,” he started. “I don’t belong here.”

“Yet Thor insists you do,” Sif growled, but it didn’t feel venomous to him.

“You’ve known him longer than me. You know how he is.”

“Sometimes I don’t think I know him anymore,” Sif muttered, adjusting her grip on him. “It was not so long ago that he was impulsive and childish. His banishment to Midgard changed him in many ways. The man who came back was wise and compassionate. A true king. I met the man I would happily serve until the end of my days, then.”

Steve remained silent, unsure if he could speak much more anyway. He didn’t know where she was taking him, but he couldn’t argue.

“Thor will make a good king.  Asgard needs him, and he cannot hide his feelings for you even if he tried.”

Oh. It all made sense now. Why hadn’t it before this? It was so simple... Steve swallowed roughly, clearing his throat tentatively. Luckily, he managed to get away with the disturbance without coughing. “He can make his own choices.”

Sif growled at that. “ Asgard needs him,” she repeated.

“He doesn’t seem happy about taking the throne,” Steve tried calmly.

“You want him to choose between you and his duty to his kingdom?” Sif spat.

“I never asked him to do that,” Steve snapped, then wrestled his emotions into submission, taking as deep of a sigh as he was able. “I never asked him for anything.”

“And yet he would give you everything,” Sif scoffed. “I do not understand it.”

“Me neither,” Steve whispered. He truly didn’t. All the fine men and women of  Asgard , including strong and beautiful Sif, and Thor had chosen Steve. It didn’t seem right.

Sif didn’t have anything else to say either. Maybe she’d just needed to let off some steam, because she sagged a little after her outburst. She didn’t let go of him either, holding him tightly against her stronger body, but gentler than she had earlier. Steve smiled a little.

“Where are we going?” he finally asked.

“To find the big one,” Sif explained. “I cannot leave you unattended in the armory, and there may be nowhere safe here.”

“Thank you.” Steve looked over at her, but she refused to meet his gaze, pushing out her jaw and lifting her chin.

“I care for Thor.”

“Still don’t have to help me.”

“You owe me.”

“Fine,” Steve agreed good-naturedly. 

She just snorted, and they carried on in silence. There wasn’t far to go. They both heard the sounds of fighting, and Steve encouraged the faster pace Sif clearly wanted to take, even if his body was nearing collapse after today’s shenanigans.

They rounded the corner, and Steve pulled away so Sif could draw her sword.

Bodies littered the floor, Asgardian and dark elf both. In the middle of the carnage was Frigga, spinning her sword like a windmill of death. There wasn’t a mark on her.

Sif was looking him over head-to-toe. “Stay close,” she ordered, both of them knowing he was in no shape to run for it.

Steve forced his stare away from the queen and onto Sif. “You can’t fight with me at your back.”

“Watch me,” Sif growled. “Now stay. Close.”

He obeyed, and she pierced the fray. Steve moved as fast as he could, trying to stay out of her way. He reached down and snagged a gun off the ground, realizing full well it was the only weapon he’d have the strength to use. The controls weren’t hard to figure out, and he started firing off shot in a matter of seconds. Captain America might have perfect vision, and could see farther than a normal man could, but he was no Hawkeye. Still, Steve Rogers was a decent shot. He felt a surge of pride with each shot he landed, with his fever-blurred vision and shaking hands.

The big one was moving in for Frigga, drawing a curved black sword. Steve spun and shot the beast in the back. It did barely anything. The creature was enhanced in some way–

“Steve, duck!” Sif yelled, and he obeyed, dropping to the ground. Her sword whipped over his head with a whistle, slicing an attacking elf clean in half.

When he popped up, he saw a figure moving slowly through the corridors, dark robes fluttering behind him like the grim reaper, skin white as death. Suddenly, the rest of the room didn’t matter. Steve set his jaw and lowered his gun, walking away from Sif. He walked toward the newcomer, felt the tug from inside him as the foreign substance vibrated with recognition.

_ I can end this. _

Steve dropped his gun. He felt awful, but he had infinite strength if it meant he accomplished this one task. Thor would kill him for this, but all he could hear were distant explosions and battles sprawled throughout the palace.

So he walked, and the figure locked eyes with him. Steve set his  jaw, eyes filled with purpose. “You can have it if you leave. Call your soldiers off, and leave  Asgard in peace.” It probably would have sounded better if he could actually get air into his lungs, and a cough wasn’t constantly wrestling with his throat.

The figure didn’t say a word, expression almost robotic as he surveyed the weak human on the verge of collapse before him. There was a flash of amusement and mockery in his dark eyes. The  Aether hissed through his body and his veins burned with  tension as Steve clung on. The dark elf seemed surprised.

Steve hung on tighter. “Only if you leave these people alone.”

There was no laughter. No scornful words or dark promises. The dark elf simply drew his sword, as a sort of unspoken message of: ‘very well’. Steve felt the sudden dread that he may have just sealed his fate.

Frigga was upon him, shoving him aside forcefully and brandishing her sword. “You are a fool,” she said, but there was no animosity there. Steve could only watch as the queen attacked the dark elf, and Sif grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and ripped him back to her side.

She shoved the gun back into his hand, scowling deeply at him. He saw a glimmer of approval underneath it all as she held up her sword and endeavored to protect him. Steve squeezed the gun, squeezed a little more fight out of his trembling body. 

He wished he could stand back and watch Thor’s mother fight. He wished even more that he could have spent some leisure time on  Asgard and learned from her. She was fearsome and determined, sure of her movements and beating the dark elf steadily, driving him back across the corridor until she had him pinned against a pillar. Steve wondered how he could have ever dared worry. She disarmed the elf, pressed her blade to his throat, and prepared to slit it.

She never got the chance. Red blossomed on her back, seeping into the brilliant blue-green of her dress. Steve whipped up his gun even as his body started to give out from exertion. His knee went and he collapsed to it, lifting the muzzle to compensate and firing off three sure shots that killed the elf who had thrown his dagger into the queen’s back.

It was too late. Sif was abandoning the fight she was currently engaged in and running to help. She was too far away. The dark elf picked up his fallen blade and finished off  Asgard’s queen.  So Steve shot him, blasting a burning hole in his shoulder. He could do no more, forced to turn and fend off an enemy rushing to attack. The gun was knocked from his hand before he could do anything else, and a sword swinging for his head.

It never struck. A yell shook the floor under their feet and a bright blue arc forced Steve to turn away. A dark shape slid between him and the enemy. Thor batted away the sword and then the wielder, spinning and summoning his lightning. It pounced out of Mjolnir, striking the dark elf hovering over Frigga’s prone form, in the face. Thor vengeful cry and the dark elf’s howl of surprised agony wove into a tragic hymn, filling  Asgard’s halls.

Steve couldn’t see very well, could barely make out the shapes moving around him. He pushed his fist into the floor to keep himself righted, doing his best to keep an eye on the proceedings. The gun was within his reach, but there was no-one left to fight. From nowhere, the big one was loping through the halls and snatching up his leader. They let him go.

Mjolnir fell to the ground with a loud thud, punctuating the battle with an eerie, defeated echo. The rest of the dark elves fled, and the Asgardian soldiers chased them. Sif stayed, knelt beside Frigga’s lifeless body, her hands pushing uselessly into bloody openings.

Reality jolted some life into Steve’s body and he stood up, clutching Thor’s arm with both hands. The prince hardly seemed to notice him, moving toward his mother. His mouth was hanging open with unspoken pleas, and his wide eyes were glistening. He fell at his mother’s side, pulling her body into his lap and leaning over her face. Steve followed, wrapping his arms around Thor’s shaking shoulders.

The corridor was too quiet. It took him a moment to realize the only sounds were Sif’s breathless pants, Thor’s choked and shaky breathing, and his own hoarse coughing.

The battle was over.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's kick out the fluff and get some angst in there, shall we?

Thor needed strength, and  Steve couldn’t give any. He barely had enough to keep himself awake.

It didn’t feel like they’d won. Not as the bodies were taken away by those warriors still standing. Not as Odin arrived too late to stop anything, but early enough to find his dead wife still sprawled on the bloody tiles of his golden palace.

Thor was worryingly blank-faced, standing up slowly on shaking legs, yet still offering out his hand blindly. Steve cursed himself for needing it, but his body was betraying him and he had no strength of his own to get off the ground. Sif approached, but Thor was already starting to walk. He brushed past her, and Steve followed.

“We must get you to the healers,” Thor murmured, wrapping large fingers around Steve’s wrist and pulling his arm across his shoulders.

“Thor... no, I’ll be alright,” Steve couldn’t conceal how hard it was to breathe, but he would be okay. There was nothing to be done for him, no wounds to cover. All he needed was rest, and that could wait. Thor needed him more.

The prince turned to look at him, breaking out of his stupor to grab Steve’s face in desperation. His eyes were damp and his voice hushed. “Please, Steven... just let them look at you.”

Steve tried to remember how he’d felt when his mother had died, what he’d needed. Then he tried to piece it with what he knew of Thor. He sighed, lost but willing. “Okay,” he whispered. “Alright.”  _ Curse this. Come on, he needs you now! _

Thor squeezed his eyes shut, but none of his tears escaped. The prince leaned forward and wrapped his huge body around Steve’s, pressing a hand against the back of his head. Steve let himself be enveloped, reaching up and rubbing the prince’s ribs. They were not alone, not yet, but the soldier’s head was concealed; he stole a kiss, pushing it into the base of Thor’s neck above the armor. Thor shuddered, then pulled away. Steve screamed inside his head to hold on and make this moment last longer, to offer up what Thor had given him when  _ he’d _ needed the support.

The demi-god did a quick assessment, finding his focus as his sad eyes roamed the Captain. “You were not hurt, were you?”

“No,” Steve breathed.  _ Thank god. I could have easily gotten hurt. And it wouldn’t have healed right away, either.  _ “No, I’m alright. Were you?”

“No,” for a second Thor looked like he might burst into tears, or fly into a helpless rage. He did neither, forcing a calm and draping Steve’s arm back over his shoulders. It felt sinful to need that help so badly at a time like this.

They walked in silence, Steve listening very closely to the Thor’s breathing and even footsteps. Much like the prince seemed to be forcing down his grief, Steve ignored his sickness-weakened body. It wasn’t until they came to a stop that realization of his own state wept through his defenses. Laying down was a blessing. Thor propped him up again so he could breathe better, but this time refused to be parted from the Captain. They held hands tightly as the healer scanned and searched meticulously with their machine, concluding that Steve had not been injured in the fight, but that his condition had worsened.

“To bed,” Thor whispered, relieved and distressed all at once. Steve obeyed, letting the demi-god focus on whatever he needed to, even if it meant succumbing to his pneumonia. He did so reluctantly, unhappy with being taken care of when he wasn’t the one who needed it.  _ Maybe this is what he needs, something to keep his hands busy. _ That seemed a worthy cause to not be stubborn for once.

And Steve didn’t have a choice, not really. He’d used the  Aether twice, and fought until he couldn’t stand up. He’d been physically spent before Frigga had dragged him out of bed.  So he couldn’t resist as Thor picked his aching, shivering body off the ground. It came as a relief he did not deserve.

“You never stop, do you,” Thor murmured as they entered his room.

“Couldn’t,” Steve whispered, eyebrows furrowed in apology. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t. I brought this here.”

Thor set him down on the bed, just as careful as he always was, just as tender and loving. His hands were shaking as badly as Steve’s, strong legs giving out as he pitched forward and braced himself against the bed. There was anger in the prince’s eyes as he squeezed the Captain’s shoulder. “It is no fault of yours,” he hissed angrily. “You did not ask for this evil to come here, to make a home in your body and ruin you.”

Speechless, Steve let the demi-god do what he had to do. Fear was taking over, sharpening Thor’s deep blue stare and tainting what was always so warm and confident.  So he shut his mouth, pliant to Thor’s adjustments and trembling hands smoothing his shirt, rubbing his arms, pushing the cold cloth into his forehead, and making sure he was  comfortable .

It was impossible to be comfortable. Steve sagged. He was weary, constantly out of breath, and battling the darkness trying the asphyxiate his vision. But he fought it back, fought for his consciousness as Thor took his temperature.

“104.5,” the demi-god whispered so quietly Steve almost didn’t hear. “Steve...”

“I’ll be okay,” Steve whispered back a little louder, forcing his hand off the bed and wrapping it around Thor’s finger that was just in reach. They were both still shaking, Steve from fever and exhaustion, and Thor out of grief. “Hey, I’ll be okay. Promise. Had worse. We had a date, remember?” He managed a smile.

Thor smiled back, but it was forlorn. He adjusted his grip, turning his hand and wrapping it around  Steve’s. “That we did.”

“ So I’ll be okay. And  so will you.” Steve squeezed, forcing tired muscles to obey.  _ Look forward to that. We’ll go home. Everything will work out, and I’ll take you on the best date either of us have ever had. _

A lone tear soaked into Thor’s eyelashes before gravity dragged it down his cheek and into his beard. He was leaning forward, shaking his head as he did so, as if his mind was denying what his body wanted. Steve nodded encouragingly, holding out his other hand invitingly. Thor continued to shake his head, reluctant but in need. Steve shifted himself a little flatter so he could pull the prince on top of him, wrapping his arms around the larger man’s armored body. The weight was crushing, even if Thor was holding back a little. Steve squeezed tighter, asking him to give in.

Finally, the demi-god settled against him, their cheeks pressed together. Steve turned his head so he could kiss Thor’s ear, his neck. And Thor let him, shivering as he took controlled and deliberate breaths. After a few long minutes, he turned his head and pushed a firm kiss into Steve’s eyebrow. “Please go to sleep,” he whispered.

“Thor-”

The next kiss fell on his lips. Thor was pushing up, eyes squeezed shut as he connected their lips and held there. He opened his eyes, and they were welling with tears. “Steve, please. You are unwell. I have always admired your strength, and your ability to push through, but I can see it.  _ Please _ , Steve. Sleep.”

That fear was growing stronger. Steve opened his mouth to protest all the same, as Thor started to work off his shirt so the cool cloths could be reapplied over his body. The prince’s lips were trembling. “ _ Steve, _ just let me do this.”

Steve gave in, and the last thing he heard before his brain shut off was a relieved sob.

\--

The funeral was held that evening. Steve would have never forgiven himself if he’d missed it, but luckily Thor was waking him, giving him a gentle shake. The Captain opened his eyes, uncomplaining as he put on the clothes given to him. Thor hadn’t changed, but he had draped a big cloak over his armor. It masked his body just as his false detachment masked his grief.

Steve got up. He couldn’t see straight, and his fever had only lowered a fraction of a degree, but Thor needed him. He had to need him pretty badly to ask this of him. And he  _ had _ asked. Neither of them were speaking, but Steve could hear it in the way the prince helped him get dressed, took his temperature, settled a big cloak over his shoulders, and took his hand.

The prince needed him.  So Steve would be there.

Neither of them had stopped shaking. Thor was put on his calm princely expression, walking slowly for Steve’s sake, but with purpose. Steve did his best to blink awareness into his eyes and match Thor’s lie of togetherness. For the kingdom. 

The ceremony was beautiful. But Steve held in his own tears as he watched Thor’s mother drift out into the Asgardian sea. They kept their fingers laced together, Thor squeezing him tightly as if all his grief was corralled in that hand. Frigga’s body drifted across the waters, and she looked like she was floating in space with the stars reflected in the waves lapping gently at the boat. Steve wished that he’d been able to spend more time with the woman. She had cared for him and defended him against her own husband, opened up her home to him. What had he given her in return?

He’d brought this evil into her kingdom, and she had died for it.

The boat carried Frigga over the waterfall, falling away into the void of space as the body dissolved into a thousand stars. Thor’s whole arm shook as his mother took her place in the great expanse of distant galaxies surrounding the floating kingdom. Steve moved in a little closer, blinking away his own tears and finding the strength within himself to hold firm like a pillar and support Thor’s shoulder with his own. They stood side-by-side as Asgard mourned their fallen queen, releasing soft blue lights into the sky.

Steve looked up and watched the lights fill the sky. His gaze drifted up to Thor’s face; thin tear track glistened on either cheek, and his eyes stared unblinking into the distant galaxies. His expression was blank, but his eyes held a pain that made Steve’s heart ache and his knees weaken. Steve couldn’t let pain like that linger without taking a stab at it. He pulled on Thor’s hand and tugged the prince a couple of paces into the shadows. No-one was watching. The Captain grabbed Thor’s face and rubbed away the tears with his thumbs, absorbing the demi-god's bottom lip with both of his. Without the serum his movements were weak, especially with the sickness and the Aether eating up whatever was left. But Thor was weak too, shaky and trying to hold himself together. He’d been doing so well up until now, but was starting to lose to his grief.

The strongest man he’d ever known leaned on him for support, letting Steve work his lip while a handful more tears seeped out. Thor couldn’t put himself back together, so his hands roamed around Steve instead, grabbing his waist, his back, his shoulders, his arms, his head.

They ended up back in the prince’s room, and Steve once again fell silent so he could be taken care of. Neither of them  were hungry, but they ate until the dinner  Volstagg brought them was gone. The Captain was exhausted, but refused to fall asleep until Thor was crawling into bed beside him, wrapping his arms protectively around his sweat-soaked body. He nestled his head against Steve’s shoulder, but his eyes stared ahead, red and swollen and  _ empty. _ Steve rested his hand on the prince’s head, fighting for a few more minutes of lucidity. He ran his slender fingers through Thor’s hair, undid the little braids and the tied-back locks and smoothed them out.

Finally, Thor’s eyes fell shut and he shuddered, though whether it was a relenting one or out of pleasure, it was impossible to tell. But prince was falling asleep, his breathing settling into a deep rhythm. Steve reached down for the blankets and tugged them up to cover Thor’s bare shoulder. Then he wrapped his arm around the prince’s head and rubbed his fingers into his friend’s forehead until sleep claimed him, too.

\--

Thor awoke on his back, a hand in each of his. They were both cold. He opened his eyes and turned his head to the left.

There was his mother, resting against the pillows just like him, wearing her ceremonial dress and golden armor. Her head was facing him, eyes open, staring blankly at him. Their color was faded to grey, glazed and lifeless. Blood dribbled out of her nose and mouth, soaking into her perfect hair. More of the viscous scarlet liquid blossomed out of her stomach like a spring, plastering the sheer fabric of her dress to her snowy skin. It filled the grooves of her armor, lapping at the edges as the puddle under her grew and grew and grew. 

Thor whined and sobbed, but he could only move his head. The rest of his body was leaden. He couldn’t get away as the warmth of his mother’s blood soaked through his clothes and bathed him.

He forced his eyes away and turned his head in the hopes of finding escape, focusing on the other hand he was holding. It was a little bigger than his mother’s, and he knew the shape of those fingers all too well.

Steve. Steve was lying on his back at his other side, staring right up at the ceiling, just as dead and cold as his mother. His hair was sopping wet, forelock plastered to his head. The flush of fever was just leaving his cheeks, fading from pink to white to grey in a matter of seconds. Steve’s whole chest was mottled with bruising – the image of the Captain coughing so hard they cracked flashed across Thor’s vision – and a small trickle of blood rolled silently between his lips. Steve had coughed his throat raw; Thor watched glimpses of that, too.

There was nothing he could do but lie there helplessly between the bodies. He couldn’t pull his hands away or squeeze the ones resting in his grip. He couldn’t speak, couldn’t  shout for help or plead for his loved ones to wake up .

The blankets were rolled down to the foot of the bed, but they were unrolling now, creeping up the bed. They covered his toes, then his shins, then his knees, heavy and constricting. He started to hyperventilate as the blanket continued to creep up his thighs, reaching his hips in no time. It tightened across his stomach and chest, constricting him further until he couldn’t breathe at all. The blankets reached his neck, and just as they were crawling over his chin, he woke up.

Thor jolted with a gasp and wrenched upward, fumbling the blankets off himself with sharp sobs. He glanced left, but the space beside him was empty; his mother wasn’t there. The dream was over. He let out a choked sigh and rubbed his eyes. 

Someone else’s breathing caught his attention, and he whipped his head to the other side.

Steve was there, laid out just as he had been in the dream, one hand thrown to the side where it had landed after Thor had risen. He hadn’t even noticed it draped over him in the first place. The Captain was alive, breathing loudly through his mouth. His forehead was lightly creased with discomfort, but he appeared deeply asleep.  _ Good. You need the rest. _ Relieved, Thor dropped his head for a moment or two and gathered himself. Then he pulled the blankets back around them both and reached over Steve’s body for the thermometer.  _ 104.3. Small victories. May we find a solution to this soon. _

Thor rolled out of bed. He didn’t think he could get any more sleep. At least his nightmare hadn’t woken Steve. The prince sat quietly in the chair by the bed and reached for the cool cloth on the Captain’s forehead, wetting it and wiping away the sweat from his torso. Without the serum’s enhancement, Steve’s muscles had lost some of their swell. The grooves weren’t so defined as Thor ran the cloth along them. Steve was still  _ big, _ but the amount of weight he’d lost between losing his serum and spending so much time in bed, was visible. These past few days had taken their toll.

How long before things took a turn for the better? Was there more he was supposed to be doing? Unshed tears contracted his throat. Thor tried to swallow them, but they were already slipping through his defenses and down his cheeks. Was Steve dying? If he was, Thor had lost his best advisor; Mother was dead. More than anything, he wished she were at his side to help and provide council or a shoulder to cry on.

_ There will be time to mourn when the battle is won. _

Thor took a couple of huffed breaths and stood up, flexing the muscles across his back in an attempt to spur his adrenaline and defeat the grief warring for supremacy. Crying wouldn’t help Steve recover. It wouldn’t lower his fever and drain his lungs. It wouldn’t bring Frigga back. Thor wiped his eyes and leaned out the window, drying his face in the cool breeze. A spatter of rain dampened his skin, and he looked up to see brooding clouds masking the distant galaxies he was used to seeing. He turned from the window and padded back to Steve’s side, fighting harder for control. 

Morning wasn’t far off. Unable to sit still in the chair, Thor leapt to his feet and ran out of the room. He gathered breakfast, a mild rice pudding for Steve, and stopped by the healers to ask that they make something for the suffering Captain. They patiently agreed. No-one stopped him, or questioned how he was. He preferred it that way. Even his father was keeping his distance, probably holed up in his room. Thor didn’t want to see him.

Light pranced through the window and across the floor, warming Thor’s back as he worked through breakfast. After a few mouthfuls, he managed to notice the flavor. A few more, and the meal became more enjoyable than it was a chore. Steve stayed sleeping, and when a healer arrived with some medicine, the prince couldn’t bear to keep vigil any longer, not without something to do.

There was nothing  _ to _ do.

“Watch him,” Thor ordered, rising from his chair before the healer could turn away. “I will return shortly.”

He gave no further explanation than that, putting on a shirt and taking his leave. There was only one place to go: the cells. Steve needed the  Aether out of him. He needed it out  _ now, _ before there was no strength left in his failing body. Thor would have preferred to leave the Captain sleeping last night, but he knew Steve would never have let him go to his mother’s funeral alone. And he’d desperately needed his friend’s calming presence. He needed it now, too. If they were in the Stark’s tower, alone, and Steve were well, he would have happily unfolded and surrendered to the Captain’s strong grip. He’d have cried openly, unabashed to show his pain in front of his compassionate friend, the one who had shown such strength throughout his own low points. That was the only person he wanted. Unfortunately, other things were getting in the way. Why couldn’t some tales be merely that?

The guards let him into the dungeons unhindered. Thor went straight for Loki.

His brother stood waiting for  him, expression perfectly unreadable.  _ How long has he stood there like that?  _ "Brother. I come in search of aid,” Thor began, cutting to the issue. “Steven is very ill. His condition worsens each day.”

“Has he not suffered illnesses like this in the past?” Loki quirked his eyebrow. “You have always had unwavering faith in his strength. It’s something you’ve felt the need to remind me of constantly.”

“He has never suffered a magical entity stealing away his strength before,” Thor replied, unable to find the urge to snap. His urgency came as pleading. “It will eat at him until there is nothing left. His sickness only hastens the process. His spirit may be mighty, but stubbornness alone cannot save him.”

“What does Odin think of this?” Loki gave him nothing. No emotions to read, no cracks in expression or posture. He was perfectly calm,  unnaturally so. Loki had always been a master of deception, but even for him this seemed too perfect.

“I have not consulted him,” Thor replied quietly. “I do not intend to. You know he would never approve.”

“What makes you think I would do this?” There, a flash of  _ something _ . At first Thor assumed it was amusement, but he was desperately wrong. It was  _ anger. _ At whom, he couldn’t be sure.

“Because you have helped both of us before, with nothing to gain,” Thor stepped closer to the cell walls, unable to hold his cool. He was scared. He couldn’t lose Steve too. “Please, Loki. I beg of you. Draw the  Aether from him and I will destroy it.”

They hung there staring at each other, Thor giving in to his grief, and Loki looking down on him with his perfect mask. For those long moments, he wondered if his brother was enjoying his suffering.  _ Fine, enjoy it, if it makes you happy. It is no loss of mine. _

“Very well,” Loki agreed. He said nothing more. Thor didn’t waste a second, didn’t give his plan another thought. Steve was his only care. He glanced over at the guards, whose backs were turned, then he let Loki out of his cell.

The god of mischief could have easily made a run for it. It occurred too late to Thor that this idea was terribly planned, but Loki complied. He stepped out of his cell, and the room shimmered as his illusion fell into place. The image of the god walked to his bed and picked up a book, sitting down to read. And Loki himself vanished. Thor could only assume his brother was following as he walked out of the cell block and back through the castle.

Anticipation crackled in his chest, and he could barely contain himself to a normal walking pace. When he burst into the room, the healer was helping Steve sit up a little higher and putting some medicine to his lips. They both paused and turned as Thor entered.

“Thank you,” the prince nodded, “thank you, I will tend to him.”

The healer dipped her head respectfully and took her leave without argument. The second she was gone, Loki emerged. Steve didn’t seem that alarmed, drinking his medicine as Thor frantically gathered his shirt and sweater from a folded pile on the nearby table. “Hey.” Was he too sick to care, or just used to the god’s involvement in these types of incidents? 

The Captain’s voice was so quiet, and the greeting almost amusing. Loki actually lifted an eyebrow, surveying the flushed human before him. “Captain.”

“We cannot do this here,” Thor explained, hastily handing Steve his shirt.  _ I will fix this. I will find a way to make you well. _ He fumbled for the thermometer, impatiently waiting for the number to pop up on the screen. 104.4. Steve’s hand curled around his wrist.

“Hey, s’wrong?” the soldier’s eyebrows were upturned, his hazy eyes mired with worry.

Thor put down the thermometer, barely holding back his tears. He had no idea how to explain himself, not to Steve, not to himself. A humorless laugh barked out his mouth, and he folded forward, wrapping Steve in a hug. Tears pricked his eyes, and he was not sure why. Maybe it was because his friend was patting his shoulder, weak as he was, still trying to comfort him. Thor squeezed him carefully, smiling. Steve’s strength really was worth annoying his brother endlessly about. “My own inability to assist,” he whispered in reply. “But Loki has agreed to help. He will draw the  Aether from you, and I will destroy it. Then you can rest, and get well.”

“Want it gone...” Steve murmured the admission into his shoulder. “Hurts.  Burnin ’ my veins.”

“I swear it, we will remove it from you one way or another,” Thor agreed sympathetically. “Come, we must find someplace better to do this. Can you stand up?”

Steve’s head rubbed against his shoulder with a nod. Thor pulled back a little and helped him into his shirt, sweater, and shoes, hauling him to his feet. Loki watched, stoic and silent. Remarkably, Steve stood up and held his balance. He took a puff of his inhaler as Thor offered it.

“Where do you suggest we do this?” Loki asked, his eyes lingering on Steve’s sweat-soaked hair and glistening cheeks. 

“In the training grounds,” Thor got  Steve’s arm across his shoulders, and the Captain weakly submitted. “They will be empty and spacious at this hour.”

Loki’s approval came with his silence. He turned, and Thor caught sight of the tension in his brother’s back and shoulders. Neither of them were addressing the issue on both their minds, choosing instead to focus on Steve and his deteriorating condition. It was something for both of them to do, to distract themselves with. 

Loki’s cloak settled over them, and they moved through the hallways unseen. It mattered little; the palace was frightfully quiet. Even Steve seemed to pick up on the somber air, subdued at the prince’s side. All three of them did their best not to look at the scars the attack had left on the palace; there were still bodies littering less-travelled corridors, and bloodstains smearing a variety of surfaces. There were plenty of dents and gouges in walls and pillars, too. Thor thought he spotted a crashed ship in the main hall as they passed it, but he gave himself no time to look.

The Captain’s breathing had worsened further. Thor wondered how much farther Steve could bear to deteriorate before he would need more than just rest.  _ No, I must do all I can to keep out of a hospital. He despises them, and I will not subject him to that unless necessary. _ Of course, if Steve’s life was on the line, what choice would he have?

Maybe it was all for nothing, the worrying. Maybe Loki would draw the  Aether out, Thor would destroy it, and the Captain would be well again. Even if he did not immediately recover, or the plan failed,  Asgard’s healers had more to give. There were still options. The medicine looked like it was starting to take effect anyway; Steve was moving forward with a little more surety and stability.

They reached the training grounds at last, and Thor sat Steve on a rock in some shade. He opened his hand and called Mjolnir. The hammer didn’t take long to reach him, nor did the apprehension that followed.  _ What if this somehow gets worse...?  _ Loki was getting into position, walking right up to Steve and staring down at the Captain with determination.

“Are you ready, Captain?” Loki asked calmly, a hint of challenge in his voice.

Thor placed a hand on Steve’s shoulder as the man nodded.

“Good.” Loki raised his hands.


	7. Chapter 7

Steve braced himself, unsure what to expect. This didn’t seem like a good idea, either, mainly because Thor definitely wasn’t thinking straight.

The prince looked flustered, the glint of fear in his eyes tenacious. Steve knew the fear was for him, and he had no idea what to do about it. He was very sick, that much was obvious, so was Thor wrong to be so concerned? No, probably not.  _ But he’s not exactly taking care of himself, either.  _ Steve honestly didn’t know if he was better off letting the god help him, or if he should be fighting back and  insisting they just forget about his damn pneumonia for a minute or two and talk about the bigger issue.  _ People cope in different ways. Give him time. _

Thor had always taken care of him, and enjoyed doing it. Steve wondered if maybe this was better. Was he helping by letting the prince find his relief in taking care of him, or was he simply enabling a coping mechanism?  _ God, I don’t know... _

It was too late to protest this plan anyway, and not a good time to bring up this discussion. Loki was here, standing in front of him with hands coldly raised, searching out the  Aether and tugging on it with his will. Steve resisted his knee-jerk reaction to pull back and allowed the god of mischief to ease the substance out of him. His stomach rolled with  apprehension .

A gasp tore out of his throat as the red liquid oozed out of his pores, stinging like biting ants all over his skin. It collected in the air between the trio, whispering incoherently just as before, menacingly searching for a new host. Steve sagged forward and wrapped his arms around his body, scratching his arms through the sleeves of his sweater as the burning in his veins subsided and the stinging faded. A little strength returned almost immediately, an almost insignificant amount, but a promise of more to come.

Blue light exploded through the training grounds, and thunder shook the ground so hard Steve had to brace the rock he was sitting on for balance. He coughed, and looked up. Loki had stepped back, shielding his face as his brother called upon his power and pelted the red liquid with it. Steve watched, awed and unable to tear his eyes away. His heart swelled. It was nearly over.

The Captain’s eyes widened as they drifted up to the dark clouds absorbing the top-most peaks of the palace. An ominous shape was drifting toward the training grounds, descending through Thor’s thunderclouds and aiming straight for the group.

An explosion lit up the clearing, and Steve cried out, rolling off his rock and covering his head, ears ringing. Something hard pelted his back, and when he peeled open one eye to take a look, he saw a small red crystal resting in the grass beside him. Straightening, he looked over at Thor. His friend stood firmly in place, bulges of muscle in his arm tight as he lowered Mjolnir and stared at the crystal fragments littered all around. Even Loki was frowning as he took in the sight. 

The dark shape moved closer. Loki saw it next. “Thor...”

Thor’s eyes widened, then narrowed. He squeezed Mjolnir tightly, expression twisting into rage. “ Malekith has returned for a second attack,” he growled. “Suits me.”

“Thor, the Aether.” Loki strode up and grabbed his brother’s arm, pointing. All three of them watched as the numerous crystals littered on the ground started to shake, lifting slowly back into the air. “We must keep it away from Malekith.” And he thrust out his hand as the crystals started to liquify and draw together. The cluster aimed for the god, then began to divert.

Steve straightened, summoning his mildly-improved strength in preparation. The ship was upon them, and the  Aether gliding toward it with excited hisses. It rippled through the air, away from Loki’s outstretched hand and into the shadow cast by the huge ship spearing through rock and metal as it speared the edge of the castle not far from where the trio stood.

Steve was aware of how ridiculous he must look among these majestically-clothed Asgardians, wearing just his sweater and holding no weapons. Thor was grabbing his arm and pulling him close, stepping in front of him. Even Loki came to stand at his other side, a couple of knives appearing in his hands out of nowhere as they always seemed to.

“Stay back, Captain,” the god of mischief cast him a glance, and there was real concern there. That surprised him.

_ Yeah, I’m a mess.  _ "Not likely,” Steve raised his fists and found a fighting posture easily, eyes fixed forward with determination. 

“Shall I knock him out for you, brother?” Loki turned his gaze to Thor. “I will do my best not to kill him when I do so. He looks as though a small nudge may be enough-”

Thor would have cut him off anyway, anger rising in the prince’s face, but no sooner had the ship landed was it taking off again. Steve swallowed a cough and dug his sneakers into the lightning-scorched grass. He could hear the patter of Asgardian soldiers swarming the ship. There was no fighting, no shooting. Just the sound of whirring engines and crumbling stone as the dark elves’ massive main ship drew itself from the ground like a sword and took off.

The  Aether was gone, with whoever was in that ship.  Malekith , probably.

No, not gone. The ship was barely off the ground. Thor ran first, and his angry cry spurred Loki and Steve into action behind him.

“Brother, you cannot face him along as he is!” Loki cried, keeping pace until the god of thunder spun Mjolnir and took off into the sky, latching himself to the side of the ship. He wasn’t listening.

It was Steve’s turn to feel fear. Real, true fear nearly locked up his knees, but he forced himself forward despite the pain in his chest. Loki turned to him, just as fearful.

“He’ll kill himself,” Steve growled. “We have to stop him.”  _ Dammit, now’s not the time to be reckless! _

To his surprise, Loki didn’t argue, and didn’t try to leave him behind. He just held out his hand. Steve took it without hesitation, and before he could think much about a plan, the god was pushing a knife into his free hand and throwing him with all his strength.

There was no serum to help him. Steve didn’t let that stop him, and didn’t let himself doubt. He did exactly as he’d have done had his enhanced strength been at his disposal: he brandished Loki’s knife and buried it into the side of the ship as his body smashed against it. The force nearly knocked him unconscious, but he held on, tightening his substantial muscles and gritting his teeth. Loki was not far behind, leaping like a gazelle up a statue on the ground before jumping off the head and stabbing his own knife into the ship a few feet below where the soldier dangled.

Thor’s lightning struck down from above, rattling the ship as it continued to climb higher. Steve hung onto Loki’s blade, feeling his grip start to fail him. He found a hand-hold on the hull and latched his fingers around that, wincing as his heart gave a shudder.  _ If the serum could get back in gear any time, that’s be great... _ The air was just starting to get thin, or maybe he was just oxygen-deprived as it was. It was hard to tell, and he didn’t dare look down to see how high they were.

As it turned out, there wasn’t far to go. The ship was being swallowed by the sky. Steve braced himself and pressed his body against the ship. The light of  Asgard was soon gone, replaced instead by dark, muddy hues of brown and green and yellow. In a matter of seconds, the whole ship had traveled through an opening in the sky. Steve shivered against a frigid wind, grateful for his warm hoodie. 

An upward gust swept under his clothes and tickled his spine, coursing a shiver through him that nearly cost him his grip.

“Steve!” He looked down to see hard and unforgiving ground far below, getting closer instead of farther away. Thor’s lightning sparked the sky. Loki was close, holding out his hand. They were coming down a little faster than they should be, he could feel that much. An explosion up and to his left rocked the ship, and nearly pithed Steve off it. Thor’s yell heralded another strike of lightning, followed by yet another explosion.

Steve yanked out the knife and let his body topple backward. If the ship landed like this with him still hanging on, he would never survive it. Chances were, the ship would blow up, at this rate of descent and height. He had no other choice. Loki caught him, pushing off the ship the second they connected and hurling them both into a steep rocky hill. The god took the impact with his shoulders, smashing into the surface with a grunt and crumbling of rock. His grip didn’t falter. Steve covered his head and shut his eyes as debris clattered down the incline and pelted them both. Despite how disoriented he was, he was very aware of Loki’s body pushing him onto his stomach and pressing on top of him, shielding him. A few seconds later, everything shook and more rock came toppling down. Heat warmed Steve’s side and fire roared distantly.

Silence wasn’t given even a moment to settle. Even as the explosions died away and the rocks stopped falling, thunder immediately took its place. Red was replaced with blue. Steve coughed, fighting to get his eyes open so he could put images to the sounds he was hearing. They sounded so watery and distant. Pain was blossoming through his arm.  _ It had better not be broken... please let it not be broken. _

Loki shifted against his back, coughing once as he shoved off rubble. Steve felt a hand brushing rock off his shoulders, then grabbing on and rolling him onto his back.

Light seared his eyes. Steve covered them with a wince.

“Captain. Get up.” Loki’s voice was commanding, and a tad fearful, as if the god could no longer keep his mask in place. “Get up!”

Steve pulled his arm away and blinked his eyes into focus. Loki stood over him, a little dusty but not much worse for wear. To the side was utter chaos. Somehow, between becoming half buried in rock and now, battle had erupted, Thor in the middle of it.

“He will kill himself,” Loki growled, grabbing Steve’s shoulders and pulling him sitting. He didn’t have to be that careful.

_ There _ was the grief. It was showing through. Steve clutched his arm to his body while he tried to decide if it was broken or not, staring up into Loki’s bright eyes. The god was asking him to fight.

“I can,” Steve nodded before any questions were asked of him.

Loki handed him a knife, keeping the other for himself. “You can use it?”

Steve nodded firmly and grasped the blade. He could remember enough of what the serum had engrained in him to put the weapon to use. There would be less strength behind his movements, but he would make due.

“Good. Stay close.” Loki was up, offering his hand. The god’s eyes were wrought with grief and pain, as much as Thor’s had been. He was fearful, anguished, and badly in need of an out. Steve saw a familiar glint of vengeance in those eyes, but he also saw a glimmer of respect.

“I’m sorry,” Steve said. He could spare a moment to do that. “For your mother.”

“Don’t make me be sorry for you,” Loki bit back. It was probably as good a thank-you Steve would ever get, but it suited him just fine. He owed the god.

“I don’t want to be sorry for you either,” Steve stretched out his sore arm and found it to be functional  after all . He pushed his legs under him. “You and Thor have a lot to talk about.”

Loki just snorted at him, and they faced the battle below.

There lay the ship, in absolute ruins, dismantled and on fire. Out of the wreckage must have crawled a score of dark elves, as well as Malekith and the large horned one with the crackling fire under his skin. Lights flashed across the plane that stretched far into the horizon, barren and unforgiving.

Thor was down there, in the thick of battle, spinning Mjolnir with all his fury, the sky consumed by his dark clouds. The big one was heading straight for him, brandishing a huge sword.  Malekith followed calmly behind, only to slide behind a blazing chunk of hull and disappear. Steve glanced up at Loki, and the god caught his eye.

“What is it your little group called yourselves?” he growled.

“The Avengers?” Steve furrowed his brow.

“Perhaps we can avenge today,” Loki’s voice was very low, the promise of suffering riding it.

Steve only nodded. He wasn’t much for seeking revenge, but just this once it could be his style. For Thor, even for Loki. Nobody deserved to have their mother ripped from them. Steve knew a little about the  Odinson family dynamic, and though he knew Loki hadn’t fit in, the god had certainly loved his mother as much as her blood son had, that much was obvious. Killing her killer wouldn’t bring her back, but it would probably feel pretty damn good.  _ Let’s go get this big bad. _

Just like that, he was charging into battle with Loki, toward a battlefield on which he probably didn’t belong. Well, maybe the serum would pick the last possible second to make itself useful. Until then, Steve would make due and try not to get killed in the process. He did as he was told and stuck by the god. Clint would have thrown a fit if he’d known how comfortable Steve was with having Loki at his back.  _ You make  _ _ due _ _ with the cards you have. _

Right now, he was stealing a new card for his deck – a blaster. Despite his slight improvement in strength, he still couldn’t rely on it completely. Kicks and punches might have been deadly with the serum in his veins, but right now he was more likely to break his hand before doing any useful damage punching. So he opted to shoot, grateful that he could do it with one hand and keep the other firmly wrapped around Loki’s dagger.

His sneakers were surprisingly good on this terrain. His hoodie was a bit too loose for his liking, not to mention desperately vulnerable, but it was keeping out the cold. The breeze actually felt good on his burning face. Curiosity over his temperature paddled through his consciousness. It was probably too high.  _ Should be in bed. _ As usual, he was ignoring what he should be doing completely.

Thor didn’t seem to have noticed the two who had come to his aid. Steve’s heart ached as the prince dashed by and grabbed a dark elf by his armor, throwing as far as possible with his godly strength. A glance revealed Loki similarly plowing through enemies, too fast to follow with the eye as he did surprising damage armed just with his knife.

The big one had reached Thor, swinging his sword. He actually managed to stop Mjolnir, though it slid him back a pace or two. Steve shot down another enemy with a couple of shots, wary as the biggest enemy on the court started to knock Thor back. Suddenly, the battlefield seemed a lot more crowded.

Steve would have intervened even if Loki hadn’t said those words to him –  _ don’t make me be sorry for you. _ The big one was fending off Thor, picking him up and throwing him like a stone at the rocky hill. Thor smashed into it, and the big one advanced, digging meaty claws under a huge boulder and hoisting it over his head. Steve set his jaw, dropped to his knee for stability, sacrificed Loki’s knife so he could hold the gun two-handed, and took aim. It took him a couple of tries, but he managed to hit the monster’s elbow, crumpling it, dropping the rock on itself. Steve stood up to get closer, aiming the barrel at the first part of the monster to emerge from the pile. He hit it in the shoulder, then the face as it burst free. The blasts left burns, but the creature only growled and shrugged off the hits, unhuman muscles popping under thick armor. It growled and changed targets. Steve held his ground, tracked the muzzle of his weapon on its face. He tried for an eye and hit the forehead instead. The beast grunted, but kept its balance, roaring with the promise of vengeance.

_ It’s enhanced somehow, _ Steve guessed, and squeezed the trigger again. He fired until the beast was too close, and ducked a swinging sword. When he came up, a fist was flying upward. It struck him in the forehead and smacked him to the ground, hot blood immediately dribbling into his eyes and stars threatening to overpower his vision. Thor’s fearful yell rang in his ears. He  grit his teeth and forced his body to move, rolling onto his back just in time to avoid a stabbing blade. It pierced the ground near his shoulder, tearing a hold in his sweater. Blood soaked out immediately, but it didn’t hurt, not at all. Not with the adrenaline fighting his sickness to the sidelines. The arm pulled back, and Steve flung his hips off the ground, wrapping his legs around the beast’s wrist. He twisted at the waist as sharply as he was able, putting all his weight into the move. The monster’s elbow popped out of place, but it didn’t let go of its sword. Instead, it drew back and snapped its arm forward. Steve’s grip came lose and he flew across the landscape.

When he hit, he blacked out. When he awoke, Thor was over him, blocking out the light, wrapping himself around him. The demi-god was shaking, shielding him, pleading under his breath . Something struck them, smashing against Thor’s back and pushing them both into the ground. Pieces of rock pelted his ankles, but the rest of him was sheltered by Thor’s bulk. The prince cried out, grunting but holding up whatever had just buried them.

Steve coughed. He couldn’t fight anymore. The adrenaline had left him. He was done. He couldn’t even tell which part of him was hurting, not even as he found his breath and started to suck in oxygen as deeply as he could. It wasn’t much. His body was too worn.

Thor pushed off, coughing himself, his face streaked with cuts and bruises. The rubble clattered off him, but it was overshadowed by the sound of approaching footsteps.

The footsteps stopped. Steve looked over Thor’s shoulder with one eye. The monster was there, a few feet away, Loki in front of him, his knife in his hand. That was all he had, and for a moment it appeared that would be enough: the god of mischief was quick, and knew his strengths perfectly. He was ducking blows and sword swipes, darting in for a cut or two of his own. Nothing seemed to make a difference. Alarmed, Steve tried to sit as  instinct took over. Thor eased him back, regret in his eyes.

The prince rose, opening his hand for Mjolnir and staggering toward the fight. He was too late. Loki had already lost. None of the numerous blows landed on the beast were affecting it. It wasn’t slowing at all. One mistake was all it took, one falter on Loki’s part to earn him a slice in his arm so deep he dropped his knife. And that was that. The monster’s sword slid through his torso. The god fell, and the monster turned to walk away.

Thor screamed, and his whole body crackled with blue energy like Steve had never seen. The prince was on his feet, holding out his hand for Mjolnir. Lightning was already roaring down from the heavens, wrapping round the monster’s body and utterly frying it. Steve propped himself up on one arm to watch as the beast twitched under the full might of Thor’s power. The sky filled with vindictive thunder and Thor’s deafening roar. Steve had to cover his eyes, blood sticking to his fingers as he did so. Thor’s pain rattled his chest and soaked into his own mourning heart.

The light faded, and the screaming ended. The monster fell, a charred mess, and Thor spun around, weak in the knees. The prince fell as his brother’s side, his face already streaked with tears as he lifted Loki’s slender body into his arms and clasped his paling face. Steve struggled to his feet and limped over, collapsing at Thor’s side. The land was eerily quiet, so much so they could practically hear Loki’s life seeping out of his body.

It was too late. Steve knew that as he watched Thor push his hand into the gushing hole in the middle of his brother’s torso. 

Loki seemed to be the only one not harboring regret. His eyes were clear when Steve dared to glance at them, fixed forward with conviction. The last of his life slid away, and his eyelids fell shut. It was over.

Thor laid Loki on the ground and reached out, drawing Steve against his side. He was frighteningly silent, wiping his eyes with one hand and blankly pulling them both standing.

“Thor-”

“We must find shelter and some place to hide,” Thor murmured, turning his back on the body. They both stared up at the sky as another ship lifted off in the far distance –  Malekith . They both knew it.

Steve shivered, his legs starting to liquefy. Thor immediately dragged an arm across his shoulder and propped him up, mask cracking in favor of worry. He called Mjolnir to his hand, and together they started to walk across the unforgiving wasteland.

They managed to find a small cave. It was still drafty, but better than being sat in the open. Most of all, the battlefield was not visible from inside. Thor sat him down and knelt, reaching into his armor. He let out a dry laugh and held up the emergency inhaler. The laugh died as the prince’s eyes got a good look at Steve for the first time. Dread replaced almost everything, leaving behind only the regret. “Steve...” Thor’s bruised knuckles pressed against his forehead. “We must find a way to return to  Asgard . You need rest.”

He was too tired to argue. Steve coughed and let his hand be moved over the gaping wound in his arm and pushed against it. Thor was putting the inhaler between the Captain’s lips, urging him to suck in as the medicine was spread through his mouth. Fingers he’d grown used to rubbed into his face in an attempt to clean up come of the blood, applying pressure to his trickling temple. The sting of other cuts  started to come into focus.

Thor was taking his face by the chin, peering intently into his eyes. “No concussion,” he whispered, sighing with relief. “But you are bleeding. Wounds like these would ordinarily stop quickly...”

“I know,” Steve replied quietly. His deteriorating condition seemed to be the only thing either of them could focus on. “Serum’s not kicked in yet.”

“The situation is not ideal,” Thor sighed, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against Steve’s. When he spoke again, it was cracking. “I have brought this upon you. I was angry. I am sorry.”

Steve suppressed a shiver. He was freezing, even though he knew his fever was still raging. He leaned tiredly into Thor’s big, supportive chest. He felt small. “We’ll find a way out of this.”

“We cannot wander the land in the hopes that we fall through a portal and land back in Asgard, or Earth,” Thor reasoned. “This place will be wrought with danger, Steve. Perhaps if you were well we could try, but we must think of another way.”

“What other way?” Steve whispered.

“Heimdall,” Thor pulled away, wrapping a warm hand around the back of Steve’s head. “The bi-frost will take us back.”

Steve fell forward against, seeking the body heat. Thor wrapped his cloak around both of them, one arm across the Captain’s shoulders and the other clutching Mjolnir. Heimdall didn’t answer. Thor called, squeezing Steve closer. He called again. There was nothing.

They both fell silent, and Thor let go of his hammer, clutching  Steve’s arm instead and peeling back bloody fingers to look at it. The wound was still dribbling blood. Thor clamped his own hand over it and pushed. “This does not want to stop...”

“Low platelets,” Steve nodded knowingly, utterly drained. He probably looked as pale as he felt. He winced at the pressure. “Never clotted well before the serum either.”

“And yet you cannot be dissuaded from fighting,” Thor smiled at him, tired and apologetic, but proud. “I admire your courage.”

“Some call it stupidity,” Steve whispered.

“Some,” Thor agreed. “The line is blurred, and where it falls is a matter of circumstance. I would say racing to protect your friend would count as courageous. It was my own stupidity that necessitated those actions.”

“You were trying to stop the  Aether from falling into the wrong hands,” Steve shook his head. “I think that counts as  courageous .”

“Starting a fight without a plan is stupid. You told that to Stark not long ago,” Thor quirked a smile.

“There’s not always time for a plan,” Steve reasoned.

“We will find a way out of here,” Thor promised, keeping his grip on Steve’s wounded arm but leaning forward, eyes hungry and pained. “I swear it. I will take you to safety, then I will devise a proper plan and stop  Malekith before he can do evil with the  Aether . You will remain on the sidelines this time, Steve. I thought for certain you would die today-” the prince choked on tears.

Steve leaned forward and closed the gap, kissing gently. He pulled their lips apart. “Okay.”

“Okay,” Thor echoed, tears rolling out of his eyes. But he was smiling, letting go of the Captain’s arm and wiping at the tears in relief. Then he leaned forward for a hug, and Steve accepted, wrapping his unhurt arm tightly around the prince’s waist. 

They sat like that for a few moments in silence, until Steve’s head tipped forward and rested on Thor’s shoulder.

The demi-god perked up and separated them so he could look grasp the Captain’s face. “Steven, are you alright?”

“Tired,” Steve murmured. “ M’really tired, Thor.” It was a war to keep his eyes open, one which he was badly losing.

“What about the  Aether ? Do you feel any better for its removal?” Thor questioned.

“Little,” Steve patted his chest. “ Gettin ’ harder to breathe,  s’all .”

Thor’s expression reprised determination, the flickered into confusion. He reached down and picked up the broken neck of a glass bottle. Parts of the label were still in-tact, clearly printed in English. Steve’s eyes widened, and the two of them made eye contact. The Captain started to stand, but Thor pushed him sitting and found a stick, prodding around the cave floor.

The prince rose, stepping cautiously over uneven ground. He kicked aside various bits of debris that didn’t quite belong on this world; splintered plywood, some insulation. Steve spotted the single orange leaf drifting up from the ground and catching the drift in the cavern. “Thor...” he pointed. The god turned and watched the leaf, then stared at the rocks beneath. He lifted his stick and dragged it along the surface until the tip dipped and was swallowed by thin air.

They both smiled. Thor hurried over and helped Steve stand, supporting him with one arm and picking up Mjolnir with the other. “Ready?” he asked.

Steve nodded, wrapping his arms around Thor’s ribs. They stepped into the portal and dropped through, emerging in Earth’s sky.

They were falling. Steve clung on, staring with wide eyes at the approaching ground. It was far below, cemented. They were falling down a stairwell, one he’d already encountered. He recognized those railings and dilapidated walls, the peeling paint and dusty hallways. This was definitely Earth.

Thor was already spinning his hammer, yanking them horizontally before another portal below could swallow them. Mjolnir blasted through cement and drywall, carving a clear path. Thor pulled back after only a few seconds, and they both slid across the ground into the fall wall of whatever floor this was. Dazed, the pair of them lay still and panting for a few moments.

“Thor?” Both men looked up to see a woman scurrying up the stairs toward them, a device in her hand. 

“Jane?” Thor sat up. “I told you to stay away from here!”

“I know, I know, but I had to get more data, and Doctor Banner wanted some readings-” she was cut off as Thor strode across the room and wrapped her in a tight hug. Steve watched from the floor, smiling to himself.

Thor pulled back. “My friend, Steven, he is very sick. He needs somewhere to rest.”

“Yeah, yeah, of course,” Jane pocketed her device and peered over Thor’s  shoulder, eyebrows upturned the second the laid eyes on Steve’s prone form. “Maybe I should take him to the hospital instead...”

Thor was shaking his head before Steve could protest. “I can care for him.”

Janes paused, but finally nodded reluctantly. “My car is outside.”

“Thank you,” Thor breathed. Steve made the effort to get up by himself, but it was getting harder by the minute to move. A bed sounded amazing. The prince got him to his feet and brushed him off, and together they left the building.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no, big bad is looming, and things keep getting worse! Will the evil be vanquished?
> 
> Of course it will, I'm a sap for a happy ending. Hang tight my dudes, there's more action to come.

Whatever happened next, Steve had promised to stay out of it, and that brought Thor endless relief. He needed to know that Steve would be safe. He couldn’t lose another loved one.

He slid into the back seat of Jane’s car, and Steve followed, relentlessly out of breath and paler than he’d been when he’d woken up this morning. Even with the  Aether gone, the Captain’s serum didn’t appear to be working just yet. Thor mourned his uselessness as  Steve’s sleeping head landed on his shoulder.  _ You have fought two battles in your state. Did I do enough to stop you? To protect you as I swore to do until my dying breath? _

The drive was relatively short. Soon they could get Steve into bed where he belonged and let him rest. Maybe Jane had some medicines she could give him for his fever.  _ Thermometer. I must find one. _ A mission, something to do and focus on: one, get Steve to bed; two, take his temperature. Simple, he could do that. Thor refused to think about anything else. Not the Convergence, not the  Aether , not Malekith, not his brother’s lifeless body, not his mother’s departed spirit. Just Steve. Poor Steve, his whole face flushed and practically steaming, his skin pale and clammy, and his eyes distant. He sounded like he could barely breathe, and the short rasps he did manage were incredibly painful and inadequate. Every few was punctuated with a rough, wet cough.

They arrived at Jane’s house, and Thor hurried around to help Steve up and out of the car while Jane rushed off to get the door open and find some Tylenol. The Captain was woefully unsteady, but awake and obediently following along tucked under  Thor’s arm.

“Here, sit him at the table while I make the bed,” Jane suggested, closing the door behind them. She guided the two dirty warriors into her house and pulled out a chair, setting down a glass of water and two white pills. “Give him those.” Steve sat down with a relieved sigh and reached for the glass, swallowing both pills unprompted.

Thor set Mjolnir on the table and strode over to Jane, stopping her with a gentle hand on her arm, urgency in his voice. She turned to look at him with worried eyes. “Jane, do you have a thermometer?”

“Yeah, I do,” she agreed. “I’ll go get it.” He started to move away, but it was her turn to stop him. “Thor... he looks really bad. I can drive him to the hospital.”

“He has suffered similar sicknesses in his youth,” Thor whispered. “And he has pulled through. I promised to take care of him.”

“Taking him to a hospital doesn’t mean you’re not taking care of him,” Jane replied calmly. She was too smart, and far too perceptive to miss the anguish hidden deep in his eyes. She frowned. “Thor, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, nothing,” he didn’t want to talk about it. There wasn’t any time. Steve first. But her expression proclaimed that the astrophysicist would not be dissuaded. He sighed. He didn’t have to tell her about his mother, or his brother, but she deserved to know what was coming. “There is evil on the horizon. When we took Steven home a few days ago he had something called the  Aether inside of him. It was draining his strength and affected his serum.”

“I wasn’t going to ask how Captain America could catch a cold, but that explains it,” Jane’s lips twitched for a smile, but her expression remained serious. He appreciated her calmness. It was grounding.

“We managed to remove it from him, but a force my grandfather once defeated is in possession of it. As the old tale goes,  Malekith used the Convergence to amplify his power. While the worlds are aligned, he will attempt to consume them in darkness. I must stop him.” Thor placed his  hands on Jane’s slender shoulders. “You have been a good friend to me. I must ask more of you. I must run into battle without Steven, and I need to make sure he is safe.”

“I’ll keep an eye on him,” Jane agreed with a soft smile. “He’ll be safe here. Darcy should be back soon. I’m sure she’d love to help. Eric too.”

“Thank you,” Thor sagged, and pulled her into a hug.

“You changed everything for me,” Jane murmured into his chest, hugging him back. “Least I can do is take care of your boyfriend.”

“He’s not my-” Thor cut himself off, heat tickling his face and neck. Jane pulled away and quirked an eyebrow at him. “Is it that obvious...?”

“You can’t fool me. You’re not as stoic as you think you are,” Jane chuckled. “I know a man in love when I see one. Come on. You two look like you could use some lunch. I’ll get you that thermometer, and then I think I have some soup in the cupboard.”

Thor nodded gratefully and returned to Steve’s side. He pulled up a chair, his cape faded away, and sat down quietly. Steve turned to look at him, leaning forward and resting his head on folded arms. “You’re not going to fight this by yourself, are you?” he whispered.

“If I have to,” Thor replied softly, but with determination. “I must stop this evil before it can do any more damage.”

“Call Tony,” Steve whispered, as if it was all the strength he could muster. He turned his head and coughed into his arms, shoulders shaking. Thor reached over and rubbed his back through his torn, bloody sweater.

“Can you remember his number?” Thor asked. “I should let them know we have returned, and of what is coming. Tony could take you back to the tower and try to fix your serum. Doctor Banner will be there, and he can help too.”

“That’s... good idea,” Steve murmured.

Good, he wasn’t fighting back. That was worrying in itself, though. Thor kept rubbing Steve’s back until Jane returned with a first-aid kit and a damp cloth. She handed them over without question and went to turn on the stove.

Steve was already starting to take off his hoodie by the time Thor had the little white box open, but his arm was too stiff to get it over his head. The prince reached over and drew the garment off, immediately staring at the deep gash in Steve’s bicep. It had started bleeding again. The Captain calmly set his forearm on the table and stared at his hand, visibly preparing himself for the pain to come, but welcoming Thor’s help. 

“I had better clean it,” Thor half suggested, rummaging for disinfectant. He usually only cleaned out Steve’s wounds if they were particularly dirty, to save the serum some trouble, but without it he would have to be just as meticulous with cleaning as he was for the other Avengers. This was going to sting.

But, on the plus side, there was other medicine in here, something for the pain. Steve might have to suffer his wound for longer, but at least medicine would work on him now. Thor handed over two small blue capsules, and Steve swallowed them with water. He  grit his teeth, and the prince started to work.

There was blood and dirt just about everywhere, mostly smeared grotesquely down the Captain’s arm. Thor cleaned away a large section and pushed thick gauze padding in place. He’d have liked to make some stitches, but there weren’t any in the kit. Steve sat patiently as Thor wrapped his hands around the width of his arm and pushed until the bleeding finally slowed. He peeled back the blood-soaked pad and wiped away a few rogue trails of blood before reaching for the antiseptic. Steve winced and hissed through gritted teeth as the alcohol stung, and Thor murmured an apology, clamping another couple of clean pads over the cut. He wrapped the gauze bandage much thicker than he ordinarily would, reminding himself that Steve wouldn’t heal as fast as normal, nor would he clot as well as a normal person. So he added more layers of dressing than he would for the other Avengers. That would do it. He pushed Steve’s arm against his chest and started on his face.

The Captain was falling asleep again, his arm falling into his lap and his head drooping forward. Thor nudged their chairs closer and rested Steve’s head against his shoulder. Luckily, there wasn’t much more blood to clean up, and the split on Steve’s temple didn’t need stitches. The bruise underneath was substantial though, so Thor cleaned and applied pressure to the area with extra care. With the rest of the soldier’s face cleaned, he pushed the cold cloth over the bruise and held it there.

“Thor?” Thor turned his head and spotted Darcy in the doorway. He smiled at her as she kicked off her shoes. “What are you doing here? Oh my god, who’s your friend?” Thor couldn’t tell exactly what the woman was thinking by her expression. There was surprise, for certain, and perhaps a little lust. 

Steve was still awake. He lifted his hand to give a little wave, sitting up off Thor’s chest and rubbing some life into his face, careful of his bruised head.

“This is Steven,” Thor announced proudly.

“That’s not...” Darcy pointed, then pointed at Jane, then back to Steve.

“Yup,” Jane confirmed, switching off the stove. “Grab a couple of bowls, would you Darcy? Make some toast while you’re at it.”

“Can I ask why Captain America is in my house before I do that?” Darcy scampered to the table, peering around  Mjolnir’s handle at Thor. “Haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Likewise. Are you well?” Thor smiled at her.

“Yeah, I am.” Darcy nodded, casting her gaze to Steve. “The  rest of your Avengers friends coming too?”

“Perhaps, but we will not be staying long,” Thor nodded. “Do you have a phone I can borrow?”

“Yeah, course,” Darcy pulled out hers. “Just don’t crush it, Muscles, it’s brand new.”

“I will not,” Thor politely agreed, taking the small device from her and handing it over to Steve. The Captain squinted at the screen and stared to type in Tony’s number. Thank goodness he could remember it.

The line didn’t ring long. Jane was setting down some bowls of beef vegetable soup on the table, gathering toast from the toaster and piling it on a plate. Darcy grabbed a blanket off the sofa and draped it around Steve’s shivering shoulder, her hands lingering there for a moment or two longer than they needed to. Tony picked up.

“Who’s this?”

“Stark, it is Thor.”

“Oh, hey big guy, what’s up? I didn’t know you had a phone, or my number.”

Thor didn’t bother to explain. “Tony, I am back with Jane in London. Steven is with me. The  Aether is gone from him, but his serum is still not working.”

“I can have a jet over there by midnight,” Tony replied instantly, the casual playboy tone dropping right out of his voice in favor of seriousness. “How is he?”

“Very sick,” Thor replied quietly. “The  Aether no longer drains his strength, but it has made little difference.”

“Can I talk to him?”

“Yes,” Thor agreed quickly, and he handed the phone to Steve’s waiting hand.

“Hi Tony,” Steve leaned on his arm. Darcy was whispering to Jane in the corner, and they both ignored her. “Yeah...  m’okay . Will be, anyway... Yeah, just tired... mm hm, Thor already made me promise. No  fightin ’... okay... okay... Tony... thank you. Kay. See you soon.” And he handed the phone back.

“Sounds rough,” Tony immediately announced. “I’ll be there as quick as I can with the others. They’re pretty worried.”

Thor took a few deep breaths and glanced at  Steve’s weary face. “An evil force looms on the horizon, Tony. I may need assistance facing it.”  _ I cannot be reckless. At least it may ease Steve’s fears if I ask for backup. My friends are strong. I am always proud to fight alongside them. _

“What kind of evil?”

“One that wields an ancient magic and seeks to consume all the Nine Realms in darkness,” Thor explained.

There was a brief pause. “I’ll pack my toothbrush.”

\--

Tony and the other Avengers were on their way. All they could do now was wait.

Eric arrived shortly behind Darcy, and he was very pleased to see his friend. “Thor, you’re back,” and he loped over to give the demi-god a hug while Steve watched on, amused.

The situation was briefly explained to the scientist, and though something was definitely not completely right with the man, he took the information calmly and unsurprised. Thor had always felt guilty for what Loki had done to Clint and Eric alike, especially Eric; he clearly hadn’t gone quite back to normal after the  Chitauri incident. On the plus side, none of this otherworldly nonsense was fazing him.

“I could use your help,” Thor explained, the whole group gathered at the table. He addressed all of them. “ Malekith will strike at the point of alignment, and I must be there to stop him. Have your studies shown where the Convergence may take place?”

Jane shook her head. “Not yet, but we’ll keep looking.” Eric nodded in agreement.

“What’ll you do when you find it?” Darcy asked, and Steve hummed his agreement, dipping the corner of his toast into his soup unenthusiastically. He looked absolutely uninterested with eating, but was making an effort at the very least. 

“I will wait for  Malekith , and I will stop him,” Thor replied firmly. “If I can only keep him busy until the alignment passes, I will do that. My friends will be here in a few hours. They will help.”

Until then, Thor was frightfully useless. Jane touched his arm and pointed in the direction of the bathroom. “Go get cleaned up,” she offered. “I’ll find you something to wear.”

“Thank you,” Thor smiled and stood up, reaching down to help Steve. The Captain blinked blearily and took the hand offered to him, standing out of his chair. All the color drained from his face, and his eyes glazed over. He came down like a sack of bricks, and Thor caught him. “Steve!”

The Captain didn’t answer, his eyelids falling shut. The room stirred with urgency as the others clustered to see what was going on.

“I’m calling an ambulance,” Darcy breathed, reaching for her phone. Thor didn’t try to stop her.

“Here,” Jane brushed by and adjusted the pillows on the couch. “Put him here.” Thor wordlessly picked up his limp friend and carried him over, settling him on the cushions and stroking back wet hair from his boiling forehead. He could hear Darcy on the phone, speaking urgently to the operator and giving their address.

_ No  _ _ no _ _ , Steve, I can’t lose you as well.  _ Thor grabbed Steve’s hand and willed it to squeeze back. He hadn’t noticed the blue tinge to the Captain’s lips...  _ Jane was right. I should have taken you straight to the hospital... I know how you hate them. I am sorry! _

“What’s wrong with him?” Jane asked quietly, coming to stand at his side and placing a hand on his shoulder. Her concerned gaze settled on the prince, and he met her eyes with fear and welling tears.

“He fell ill shortly after we returned to New York,” Thor explained  shakily. He couldn’t do this... It was too much all at once. “I do not recall the name.”

“Sounds like pneumonia to me,” Jane patted his shoulder, listening to Steve’s shallow, rattling breathing. “He’ll be okay, Thor. The ambulance won’t be long. They’ll take him to the hospital, and get him some medicine, and he’ll be okay.”

Without her calming presence and logic, he would have surely fallen apart. He nudged himself under Steve’s torso and held him up so he could breathe better. It made a small difference, but it was something. Jane left his side for a moment and came back with a cool cloth, laying it across Steve’s forehead. At least he was still breathing...

There was a knock at the door. Darcy leapt for it and let two people dressed in bright yellow jackets inside. She led them over, and Thor didn’t process anything they were saying until Jane laid a hand on his shoulder and roused him from his stupor. “Thor... they need you to move.”

“Of course,” Thor shuffled down a few paces, drawing back his hands. To their credit, the EMTs were extremely calm about finding Captain America and Thor at the other end of the call. They barely batted an eyelid and got straight to work, asking questions that Thor answered blankly and forgot immediately after.

“I’ll get the stretcher,” one announced, turning to hurry out of the  living room and out to the street.

The other was running her fingers along Steve’s spine and peeling his eyelids apart one at a time. She palpated his ribs and took his pulse, her expression professionally calm. Her colleague returned with the stretcher, wheeling it close to the couch. Thor didn’t need to be prompted as the woman stepped back, sliding his arms under Steve’s body and placing him gently down on the mattress.

“He’ll be alright,” the woman smiled at him. “Pneumonia is quite common. A few antibiotics and some bed rest, and he’ll be good as new.”

Her reassurances went a long way. He sighed a little.

“Would you like to come?” she asked, and he brightened, nodding firmly. “Good, then come on.”

“We’ll meet you there,” Jane touched his arm and smiled at him. Darcy nodded in agreement.

“Thank you, my friends,” Thor smiled back at them sadly.  _ How did this go so wrong... _ But at least he wasn’t alone. Neither was Steve. He would stay with the Captain until he had to go. By then Tony should be here. He looked to Darcy and opened his mouth to ask if he could use her phone again, but the woman was already handing it over.

“You’re cute together, by the way,” she smiled cheekily.

_ Subtlety was never my strong suit. _ Thor blushed and turned away, taking the phone with him. He picked Mjolnir up off the table and followed the EMTs into the ambulance.

The space was deceptively large. Thor sat down where instructed and kept Mjolnir in his lap, reaching out for Steve’s hand. The woman didn’t stop him. She closed the doors and came to help her partner strap the Captain to the stretcher and set up various other equipment. They started an IV, and Thor nearly leapt out of his seat and offered to do it himself, but held back. This wasn’t the tower, and Steve wasn’t even conscious.

It only took a few seconds for Steve to rouse after an oxygen mask was strapped to his face. Thor put Mjolnir down so he could stand up and move closer, wrapping the Captain’s hand in both of his and putting his face where it was visible. “Hey, hey, Steve...” he couldn’t help but smile a little.

“Captain,” the woman was moving to his side. “Captain Rogers. You’re in an ambulance headed for London General. You’re going to be okay.”

Sometimes he forgot that Steve was basically a celebrity. Thor decided to be glad that Steve’s face was still recognizable despite being so lifeless. He looked nothing like himself, expression blank and his eyes verging on delirious. Thor prepared himself to fight in case Steve resisted medical help like he often did when he wasn’t completely with it, but Steve just closed his eyes again. Was he asleep, or unconscious? Thor didn’t know, couldn’t tell. He tried to ignore the EMT as she said something urgent to her colleague, instead focusing all his attention on Steve. This was out of his hands now. There was nothing left to be done. All he could do was play watchdog.  _ Calm. I must be calm. Patience. _ Steve had brought out a side of him he never knew he had. He searched for it and drew it into place, burning away his anxiety.

It was much easier to keep his distance  no w that he’d found this calm place, w hen the ambulance parked and Steve was wheeled out. He followed, Mjolnir in-hand, ignoring all the other people in the vicinity. Let them talk. Ordinarily, he’d have been  quite happy to play for the attention of a crowd, perfectly comfortable with it, but not today.

Steve would have been proud with how calmly he accepted the hand a n urse shoved at his chest, stopping him from following. “Sir, you might not want to go in there right away, not until he’s set up.”

“Why not?” Thor’s heart raced, but he maintained his composure.  _ Surely he does not need surgery? _

“They’re putting in a chest tube. You might not want to watch. Some people get squeamish...” she trailed off, scanning the prince from his boots to the collar of his armor.

“As long as my presence is safe, I care not what I witness,” Thor replied, and the nurse nodded, stepping out of his way so he could jog to catch up. Nobody else got in his way.

There was a lot of chatter, which was to be expected; Captain America and Thor were in their hospital, so the stakes were higher. Luckily, everyone was too respectful to make a fuss, focusing solely on the medical task ahead and leaving Thor alone. The prince wasn’t sure if there was something he should be doing in regard to privacy or security. Tony would know... he pulled out Darcy’s phone and turned it in his hand, wishing the inventor were there to sort out the public side of this. He’d know how to make sure this drama was contained. Maybe it was too late for that, after Thor had openly strolled through the hospital corridors...

Oh well. Nothing could be done about that. He would call Tony when Steve was dealt with. Thor tucked the phone away and entered the room a small herd of nurses were setting up. They started to move Steve from the stretched to the bed, but the prince intervened and easily lifted the large man in one smooth swoop. There were a few awed faces, but everyone got busy without pause, and Thor pulled up a chair. No-one asked him to move, so he didn’t worry about being in the way.

He would sit here through whatever needed to be done.


	9. Chapter 9

Steve awoke to the sound of beeping, Thor’s hand in his, and for a minute he thought he was back in the tower. But when he opened his eyes, the ceiling was definitely different. Vague memories of the ambulance taunted him. Another hand stroked across his forehead.

“I did not expect you to awaken so soon,” Thor’s voice, the ultimate comfort. It sounded so sad, lacking the usual goofy charm the prince so often carried. His deep voice was trudging through so many negative emotions, Steve couldn’t put a name to all of them, couldn’t even distinguish the ingredients blended together in this unsavory soup. He didn’t have the energy to speak, and he was quite content to just be quiet and get some rest, apart from the fact that Thor sounded so lost. He had to ask what was wrong, maybe do something about it if he were able.

“You collapsed two hours ago,” Thor calmly explained, his blurry face leaning into his field of vision. “I would not have taken you to a hospital if I did not think it necessary, Steven, I am sorry. I know you don’t like these places. But I should have  heeded Jane’s advice and taken you sooner. Perhaps things would not have gotten so dire had I been thinking clearly.”

Guilt claimed supremacy in the god’s voice , painting in some of the picture. Steve shook his head a little and licked dry lips. “No, no, s’okay.” His scratchy voice was muffled by the oxygen mask he was just now noticing.

Thor sat on the edge of the bed, dipping it with his bulk. His armor was gone, replaced by a blue flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up. There were still cuts and bruises on his face and hands from the fight, and his hair needed a brush. At least it looked as if the prince had run his fingers through it. But had he had anything to eat or drink since the fight? Steve vaguely remembered eating half a slice of toast at Jane’s house. Had Thor had anything? He couldn’t remember.

“This machine is emptying the fluid from your chest,” Thor explained, knowing that Steve liked to  be aware his own condition. “One lung at a time. The healers are giving you some medicine to kill the infection and lower your fever. Tony and the others are on their way. I don’t know if you can travel, but you may be allowed back to the tower for the rest of your recovery.”

This was good, all good information. Steve was very grateful that Thor was direct about all this, helping him get his bearings and feel safe. He shut his eyes for a moment, and when he opened  them he felt a little more awake. The drugs were helping. His chest ached and his throat was sore, but overall it was a little easier to breathe. Being almost upright helped a lot. It also meant Thor didn’t have to disturb the bed at all to help him drink.

The mask was eased off his face. Steve liked to think he could have held the cup, but he stayed relaxed and kept his hands at his sides as Thor put the straw in his mouth. “Your serum will return,” Thor said it like it was a secret, a very important and intimate secret only the two of them shared. Steve found himself hanging onto it. He nodded and licked his lips. “This will pass.”

It would. Most things did. Living in a small, sickly body in a poor household hadn’t lasted forever. Nor had fighting in World War Two, or... or having that perfect physical specimen of a body. That hadn’t lasted forever either. Maybe this bought of sickness would pass, but how long before another struck him down again? And Thor was at his side, worrying over his failing health? What if the serum never came back on its own, or Bruce and Tony couldn’t find a way to make it work again? He couldn’t do that to Thor, torture his big heart like that by ending up like this over, and over again. Because without the serum, he would. He would catch another illness and Thor would have to watch him suffer through the symptoms. With his improved body things wouldn’t be as bad as they had been in the forties, but infection alone could do some nasty damage. Maybe he would catch scarlet fever again and the damage would leave scarring on his heart.

What if Thor had to watch him wither  away? One thing Steve had come to realize was that whoever he fell in love with would die long before he did. He was (or had been) aging much slower than a normal human with the serum to continually revitalize his cells. That had never been a problem with Thor, because the demi-god would probably outlive him. Or maybe they’d have both died of old age together. Who knew! Nobody, because there was no  _ way _ to know. Now, that was gone, and Thor would have to endure what Steve had always feared for himself.

Had he always been this cynical...? He couldn’t remember.

A tear slipped out while he wasn’t paying attention. Thor’s hands on his face shrugged off his thoughts. The prince stared into his eyes, reading them too easily as usual. “I will hazard a guess at your thoughts, and I do not believe them to be good,” Thor stroked his cheek. “Whatever it may be, know this: there is nothing that can deter me from loving you. In sickness and in health, is that not the Earth saying?”

“Not... not really a saying,” Steve coughed out. “People... people say... say that when... they get married.”

Thor blushed a little at that, some of his young charm lighting up his face. “Oh... I see.”

“Snappy,” Steve teased. That was more like  it. Thor’s smile made  _ him _ smile, and the whole room brightened.

Thor leaned in, careful of all the wires and tubes, and pressed a small kiss into his dry lips. It tasted amazing. The prince pulled back, obviously wanting more but aware of Steve’s limits. He reached for the oxygen mask and pulled it back into place. Then he clasped the Captain’s face again, staring into his eyes with sharp sincerity, speaking in a hushed voice that held all the confidence in the world. “Whether your power returns or not, I will still love you. It was not your serum I fell in love with.”

If he’d been awake enough, it would have been a lot easier for his brain to fight back those convictions with rambling, spiraling worry. As it stood, he was too weak to argue with his mouth or in his head. Besides, Thor was a pretty convincing guy. Usually, when the god of thunder told you something, you listened. Steve was listening. He couldn’t manage much of a reply, not with sleep already tugging him down, drained after his brief period of wakefulness. But he smiled. “Sap.”

“Rest,” Thor smiled back, and he appeared much more at ease than when Steve had first awoken. The kiss that pressed into his overheating forehead sent him off into the land of dreams.

\--

Jane reentered the room and shut the door, coffees in-hand. She pulled a paper cup out of the cardboard tray and handed it over. “How is he?”

“Asleep,” Thor took the cup from her with a grateful smile and sipped the beverage. The caffeine had no effect on his Asgardian biology, but the flavor was good and sharp, and that alone perked him up a little. “He awoke briefly. He seemed at ease.”

“Glad to hear it,” Jane stood beside him, and they both  watched Steve sleep for a minute or two.

Hospitals were strange places. Thor didn’t exactly enjoy them, but he found them quiet and peaceful. As much as he hated that Steve was sick enough to be here, he was glad he was finally in the hands of the professionals. There was only so much the prince could do, even with Doctor Banner’s teachings.

He’d been asked about health insurance and other such nonsense he didn’t understand.  Apparently payment for this service was needed, so Thor had told them that Tony Stark would take care of it. They’d left him alone about the topic after that.

It was a bad time to be preparing for battle. Thor rubbed his thumb over Steve’s knuckles and wished that he could just put the Convergence on pause and stay here indefinitely. Jane and Darcy and Eric would all look after Steve, and he trusted them, but he didn’t want to leave the Captain. This was where he belonged.  _ Unfortunately _ _ I belong on the battlefield as well. _ At least Steve wasn’t dying. In fact, his O2 levels had increased since arriving, and had settled there. Thor recalled Banner explaining to him  back in  t he tower t he many readings produced on  similar screen s , and though this screen was a little different, all the numbers were familiar.

Thor looked up at the clock on the wall. An hour had passed since Steve had woken up.  _ Good, let him sleep. Perhaps this battle will be over before he wakes, and I need not cause him worry. We can go home. _

The tower had become home. Thor wasn’t sure if he could ever be happy living in  Asgard again. He had a duty to his birth-realm, and to his king, but it would never be the same without his mother, even his brother. They had both died warriors, and as much as it that hurt, he was also very proud. Loki had shown his true colors once again. Thor smiled and wiped at his eyes.  _ It is cruel that you were taken from me so soon... I felt us becoming brothers again. I owe you my life several times over. _

Jane’s hand fell on his shoulder. “Thor...?” Her concerned voice was grounding. “He’ll be okay.”

_ It’s not that...  _ Thor smiled up at her, and shoved down thoughts of his dead family. Now wasn’t the time to talk about it. She was right, though: he was still worried about Steve. That would never go away no matter how guaranteed the Captain was to pull through. “Thank you. For all your help.”

“Of course,” Jane smiled back.

\--

Steve kept sleeping. A nurse did her rounds, politely skirting around the demi-god to adjust IV rates and check vitals. She glanced at Thor nervously and he smiled cheerfully at her. She blushed and looked away.

“Thank you,” he gave her a grateful nod. “It is reassuring to know my friend is well cared-for.”

“Uh, you’re welcome,” she gave him a little smile, visibly flustered as she needlessly smoothed out her scrubs.

“Do you know when he might be well?” Thor glanced at the tube sticking out of Steve’s bruised ribs.

“I don’t know,” the nurse shook her head apologetically. “If you’re looking to get him home it might be a week. Could be two. Pneumonia can be tricky when it’s this bad, but he’s doing well. I can get the doctor for you, if you’d like.”

“No, that’s alright, thank you.” The nurse nodded respectfully and took her leave.

A week sounded like a long time. Thor surveyed the bed, and the man in it. It came as a small relief that Steve still looked huge, his shoulders filling out his hospital gown, and the soft white lights of the room caressing his ample chest where the gown was left open to account for the tube. There was a lot of bruising all over the Captain. Thor tried to make a tally of all the events that had taken place since the serum had become dysfunctional. Poor Steve had been thrown around  _ a lot _ these past few days. 

Thor sighed. He wanted nothing more than to climb into bed with Steve and wrap him up in his arms, but there was no way he would fit. There were too many obstructions anyway, between the tubes and monitor wires and Steve’s sliced arm.  _ We will make up for it when we return to the tower. _ Thor's heart ached, and though he longed to bash that bastard elf with his hammer and take revenge, he knew it wouldn’t be enough. He was going to need Steve’s warm love.

Jane burst through the door, sliding to a stop on the polished laminate, Darcy and Eric on her heels. “Thor, he’s here. He’s in Greenwich.”

Thor rose from his chair and picked up Mjolnir, adrenaline kicking into full gear as he prepared himself for a fight. The other Avengers weren’t here yet, so this was down to him. He cast his gaze to Steve’s peacefully-sleeping face. “Rest well, Steve. I will return soon.” If it was so obvious already, then he wouldn’t bother trying to be subtle; Thor leaned over and pushed a kiss between Steve’s eyebrows. He reluctantly pulled back and walked around the bed to the window, pushing it open. He turned back to his friends and tossed back Darcy her phone. “Keep Steve safe.”

“Of course,” Jane agreed. “You be safe too.”

“I will,” Thor smiled. Then he hopped out the window.

His feet landed with a weighty smack on the concrete below, and in a burst of power, he was back in his armor, red cape flowing behind him. He didn’t know where Greenwich was, but that didn’t matter; the dark elves weren’t exactly subtle. Thor spun Mjolnir and shot into the sky, leaving behind several startled  passerbys . It only took a few seconds to spot one of  Malekith’s dark, ugly ships landing itself in middle of a grassy square. Thor changed trajectory and dropped to the ground, cracking stone under his boots. His hair settled around his shoulders just as the ship touched down, cutting into the soil and whirring to a stop.

It always surprised Thor how, no matter the severity of the danger, some people would still insist on staying to watch. There were small clusters of civilians on the sidelines, tucked behind structures with their phones out. He glanced over his shoulder and spotted a news van. “Everyone  get back!” his voice thundered across the clearing, rattling the buildings as dark clouds formed a dome around the area. Some people ran. Some people didn’t, the news van included. Thor growled and thrust Mjolnir at the sky, summoning his lightning. A bolt shot down from the clouds and struck the  vehicle .  _ That _ cleared out the rest of the civilians, which was good, because  Malekith had brought his friends.

Backup would be nice. Thor turned Mjolnir in his hand and measured his grip, counting his enemies as they fanned out from the ship and circled him.  Malekith was the last to emerge, but hung back, clearly planning on tiring out his biggest threat with his numerous minions.  _ Suits me. _ Thor had fought against harder odds. The sky was already filling up with low-hanging dark clouds crackling with ominous blue, sealing their fight into a tight bubble. 

Through the black cut a pillar of rainbow light, and Thor grinned as four familiar figures emerged, weapons drawn.

“Bold of you to start a fight without us!”  Volstagg announced, doing a quick scan of the battlefield. “Looks like you could use the help!”

“I could have handled it,” Thor smirked. “But I am glad to have to have you here.”  _ Heimdall must have been watching. Thank you, my friend. _

“Let’s get this over with,” Sif was smiling darkly too as the group clustered together. It would have been nice to have Steve at his back...  _ He is safe and resting. I will recount this battle upon my return. _

The dark elves attacked first, swarming inward. Thor crackled with power, channeling all his rage and grief into the lightning that wove from the sky and lit up the shadows, aiming straight for  Malekith . His friends could take care of the minions. He had  vengeance to exact.

That was apparently fine with  Malekith . Thor raced toward him, a yell collecting in his chest, and the dark elf lifted his hand. A minion raced in to intercept, but the prince punched him squarely in the chest and smashed him back into the ship.  Malekith ducked to the side to avoid the sailing body, then straightened and blasted scarlet tendrils from his palm. Thor blocked them with Mjolnir and retaliated with a burst of lightning that cut through the  Aether and thrust  Malekith back into his ship and out the back with a shower of metal components. Growling, the prince raced into the ship and leapt through the hole.

Malekith was waiting for him, pulling himself out of the trench left in the grass and aiming another torrent of red at the stampeding god. The attack hit Mjolnir and spun Thor around, and a second struck his exposed black, throwing him into the air and past the ship. He flew across the clearing into his brooding clouds, striking a stone pillar so hard he went right through it to the wall behind.

_ That’s more like it. _ Thor blew a loose strand of hair from his face and shook dust from his shoulder s , opening his  fingers for Mjolnir.

It never reached him. The hammer sailed for his palm, disturbing his storm clouds, but just as it came into view it vanished.  Malekith wasn’t far behind, jumping into the dark clouds and striking out. Thor rolled to the side and popped up to his feet, stretching out his arm for Mjolnir again. He could feel the hammer answering his call, but it was very far away. Growling, Thor whipped his arms in front of him and caught  Malekith’s enhanced punch, punching out with his own. After many months of training with Steve in the tower, these blows seemed slow, though certainly not weak. With the  Aether in his veins,  Malekith was just as powerful as Thor. Maybe more-so.

_ You don’t have to be the biggest, strongest person to win. Think about all the huge monsters you’ve fought.  _ Steve’s voice, reminding him. He didn’t have to overpower  Malekith , he just had to be faster, and strike in the right spots. During their time together, Steve had taught him a lot of Earth fighting techniques. The prince was not the master of martial arts that his Captain was, but he was good, and made for fighting. As such, his brain easily supplied him moves on e after the other.  Malekith aimed a spear of scarlet at his chest, and he jumped, vaulting over the dark elf’s head and springing into a kick the second he landed. His boot cracked the elf in the spine, and the enemy stumbled forward, turning a little slower than before but recovering quickly and drawing his sword.

_ How long until the realms are aligned? _ It came as a passing thought, but an important one. Thor wove sideways as the sword stabbed at his chest. The blade scored his armor. Light on his feet, the prince grabbed the elf’s wrist and threw him into the wall, only for  the enemy to go right through with a ripple. 

Malekith dropped onto his head from above a few seconds later, crushing them both into the ground. The sword stabbed downward, and Thor rolled to avoid it, lifting his legs and springing to his feet. He smashed a punch at the dark elf, but this time they both fell through a portal, tumbling down a rocky hill in a familiar dark and unforgiving landscape. Mjolnir swept by, popping out of thin air before disappearing again. Thor opened his hand for it as he tumbled down the slope, gritting his teeth and untangling his legs from  Malekith’s . The dark elf tightened his grip on his sword and the y both smashed in a heap at the bottom of the rocky hill, Thor on the bottom. The sword jammed toward his throat,  but he wrapped his hand around the blade, wrenching it sideways and away from himself.  Malekith raised his other hand to strike out with the Aether . Thor rolled. They both fell through the ground and dropped out of Earth’s sky. The shot missed, and Thor let go of the sword.

They fell onto a tall glass structure, sliding down the outside. Below, Thor could see his dome of black clouds containing his friends and their battle against  Malekith’s followers. He looked up , spott ing Mjolnir careening for his hand from the upper atmosphere. It burst through a big white cloud and rushed for him, only to disappear again before it could reach him. A few seconds later, prince and elf both hit the ground, only to pass right through it.

They materialized a few feet away, flying sideways with all their momentum from the descent. Thor struck a parked car, and the force folded it in half.  Again, h e  called fo r Mjolnir.

Malekith pounced on him, striking out with his sword and the  Aether at once. Mjolnir wasn’t going to be much use in this fight.  _ Fine. _ He could adapt. He was stronger than the hammer itself. He’d fought many battled without it on  Sakaar . Steve had assured him over and over again that he was a powerful warrior without it, just as much if not more-so.  _ I don’t need to rely on it. _

Thor caught the sword again in his bloody hand, and ducked the blast of the  Aether as he twisted it with all his might and a powerful roar. The blade bit deep into his skin, straining under his strength. He didn’t need his hammer to access his power. It was in there somewhere.  Malekith was moving his hand, aiming for another strike with the Aether.

Thor lifted his own hand and caught the elf’s lacing their fingers and squeezing tightly. They were locked together now.  Malekith smiled, and red burst out of his palm. It was met with glowing cerulean. Summoning his power, Thor blocked the  Aether , light shining out between their intertwined fingers and lightning coursing up both their arms. Thor roared and turned at the hip, kicking the elf in the stomach and ripping the sword out his enemy’s hand as he did so.  Malekith let go, doubling over. Thor tossed the sword in his hand and wrapped bloody fingers around the hilt, striking out with his other hand and slamming a thunderous punch into the elf’s face. Lightning sparked from the point of contact, and the elf sailed backward, vanishing into yet another portal.

Thor forgot Mjolnir, squeezing his stolen sword tightly instead and sparing a glance to his free hand. Familiar power was wrapping around his arm. It wasn’t as controlled when he had Mjolnir in his grasp, but it certainly wasn’t any weaker. He felt unharnessed.  _ Steve would be proud. _ He wished now more than ever that Steve were here to see this.

Red tendrils burst upward, stretching for the sky. They cut through his blanket of storm clouds and sought out what lay directly above.

The alignment was upon them. Thor ran through his clouds, slicing down a dark elf that tried to get in his way. There was utter chaos in this little pocket  of storm . Bodies littered the grass, but his friends were still standing, fighting back the remaining swarms of minions while trying to retreat; in the middle of the clearing was a  thicken ing fog of scarlet and a gathering wind that was cutting a tunnel through Thor’s thunder clouds . It reaching up for the converging portals to other worlds.

It was beautiful. Thor wished he could appreciate it for just one moment, but there was no time.  Malekith’s climax was in full motion.

“Thor!” Sif screamed at him. He turned his head. She was overwhelmed, fighting back against the elves swarming her. But her fear was for him. “Stop it!”

_ I intend to. _ He gave her a nod, staring at the growing cloud of dark red sweeping faster and faster around  Malekith’s body, a mere shadow through the haze.  Volstagg came to Sif’s aid, and he gave his friends a small nod before digging for more of his power. It was in there, ready to come out, hammer or no.  _ Keep him busy until the Convergence is over. Then I can figure out a way to kill him, when his power is not being amplified by the alignment. _ Thor raised his arms and his stolen sword, and pushed into the scarlet  hurricane .

The wind tore at his cape and threatened to rip his legs from under him. He pushed on, shielding his face and measuring his breaths. The wind grew stronger the deeper in he went, but he could make out  Malekith’s body much clearer now. Thor grit his teeth and drew out his power, his  whole body crackling and lighting up the darkness. He threw the sword, and it speared  Malekith through the back. The dark elf calmly turned to face him, lowering his arms while the  Aether continued on its own, hungrily chewing for the exposed worlds above it.

The blow didn’t seem to have affected the elf at all. But that was fine. The time he spent drawing the blade from his body was time for Thor to dig his heels into the ground, clench his muscles, and erupt in a bright ball of blue. Lightning pounced from his body, eating at the red just as hungrily. It was quickly whipped up in the wind, but Thor only had more to give. In no time, the tornado was a brilliant purple.

_ For mother, and for Loki. _ Thor screamed and cut his hand through the air, flinging a bolt of lightning into  Malekith’s body. A spear of  Aether reached out from the clouds on its own to block, but Thor’s power went right through and grabbed  Malekith’s arm, ripping jolts of power through the dark elf. The demi-god struck out again, and  more  bolts of lightning stretched out from the whirling clouds of power surrounding both of them. They pierced the dark elf all over, and drew out a scream as the enemy convulsed.

There was a burst of red, a bright light, then black.

\--

The Convergence had passed. Thor knew that much when he opened his eyes and found himself on his back, staring up at a clearing sky. The red was gone, his storm clouds dissipating. The sounds of battle still lingered in the distance, but they sounded so far away...

A shape loomed over him, and he struggled to move, but he was too drained. The grass beneath felt so soft and cool.

_ Can’t say here. _

A pale-skinned face came into blurry focus, red claws reaching out. Thor coughed and tried to sit up. He managed a few inches before his body gave up.  _ I stopped him. The Convergence is over. His plan has failed.  _ But the  Aether was still intact.  Malekith had survived.  _ Perhaps my plan failed as well. _ He’d promised to stay safe to so many people .

There had to be some fight left in the god of thunder. Thor blinked his eyes clear, but even his eyelids felt heavy and reluctant. His vision refused to sharpe n , and he had no idea how close Malekith was. Where were his friends? Were they nearby? Perhaps he could call for their help.

He couldn’t. It was too late. Thor felt a crackle of energy deep inside him, but it was only enough to jump a spark between his fingers.  Malekith’s arm, or at least that’s what it looked like, raised to deliver a blow.

A shape dropped between himself and the dark elf. Thor furrowed his brow and squinted at the rippling blue blocking his vision. The glimpse of a silver star and red accents were enough to stir serious concern in his chest.  _ I must be dreaming,  _ _ hallucinating _ _ . I’ve died.  _

No, still alive. He had to be; his hand felt sore and warm with blood, and his body ached. Then how the _hell..._ Thor would have felt relieved if not for extenuating circumstances.

_ Steve... _


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my darlings, I did artwork for this before I even started the story.
> 
> Prepare yourselves.

Something was wrong. He could feel it in his gut.

Thor wasn’t there when he opened his eyes, but he’d expected that. He hadn’t expected the pair of expensive shoes propped up on his bed, though. Steve still looked for Thor. His head was made of lead and his neck was floppy, but he did a scan of the room. No Thor.

“I can honestly say, Cap, you’ve looked better.” The shoes lifted off the bed, and Tony leaned forward. “I was just about to eat your pudding.”

“Tony...?” Steve opened his mouth to ask a question, but he couldn’t quite find the words.

“Yeah, it’s me,” Tony shifted the chair closer and crossed his legs, peeling the top off a pudding container. “I was only kidding about the pudding. Ease up.”

_ I don’t want the damn pudding. _ Steve frowned and waved his hand, frustrated. “Thor?”

“He left to fight the big bad,” Tony explained. “I got here... ten minutes ago.” he checked his watch.

“Others?”

“Went to help,” Tony stuck a spoon in the creamy substance. “I told them I’d look after you.”

“Be fine,” Steve sighed. He would rather Tony be out on the battlefield making sure everyone was safe.

“Yeah yeah,” the inventor reached forward and pulled the oxygen mask off the Captain’s face, holding up the spoon. “You can barely get two words out. Your prince in shining armor would want me to be here. Besides, I can help from here.” He turned his head a little, and Steve caught a glimpse of the earpiece tucked in Tony’s ear. “Iron Man doesn’t need a pilot on board.”

That made him feel a lot better. Steve sighed and opened his mouth for the pudding. It was too sweet, but got the bad taste off his tongue.

“Good boy,” Tony drew back the spoon and filled it up again. Steve scowled at him, but ate another spoonful. He licked his lips and swallowed roughly, a couple of weak coughs escaping. Tony put down the pudding and exchanged it for water. “Hey, steady.”

Steve took a grateful sip of water as the straw was aimed through his lips. He had to admit, he was grateful Tony was here. The guy liked to play the insensitive egomaniac who cared for no-one but himself, but he cared, and he was a fixer. Right now, Steve wasn’t  running  quite right. Thor would take care of him, but Tony would fix him up .

“You sure there’s none of that stuff left in you?” Tony set down the glass and leaned forward on his elbows. “The serum’s not working yet?”

“Sure,” Steve panted and clenched his fists in frustration. “Does it look... look like... s’workin’?”

Tony frowned and glanced at the monitors, picking up the oxygen mask and sliding it back over Steve’s nose and mouth. “Hey, easy. It might not come back instantly. You might be feeling it start to work, I don’t know. It might be a slow process.”

Steve sagged. He felt heavy and weak, unable to catch his breath despite the oxygen mask forcing more air into his lungs. But Tony was right, the serum probably wouldn’t come back like a flipped switch. It would take some time to flush the illness out of his body anyway. “Sorry,” he muttered.

Tony’s hand settled on his. “You want some more pudding ? ”

“Not really,” Steve winced.

“Fair enough,” the inventor leaned back in his chair. “What about apple sauce? That’s sick-people food, right?”

“Not hungry,” Steve smiled.

“What are you grinning for? If you don’t eat now, Thor will make you eat later. Can’t fight a bad bug on an empty stomach.” Tony was smiling back. “ So what’ll it be? You want yogurt? Or something fancier? I don’t know how well caviar would sit, but you can sure as hell have some if that’s what you want.”

“Just  bein ’ nice...  cus Thor...  Thor’ll kick you... kick your ass . ” Steve closed his eyes and kept his smile. This felt good, felt normal.  _ Thor... Where’s Thor? _ That sensation that something was wrong crawled back up to the surface.

“Excuse me, I care too,” Tony scoffed. “But yes, if I don’t look after you properly your boyfriend will throw me into the sun for negligence.”

_ I guess we are pretty obvious... _ Steve cringed a little, blushing. “Who knows?”

“About you and your little thunder pal? Uh, pretty much everybody, I think. You can barely tear your eyes off each other, you always sit all squished up together, and for hell’s sake, Steve, I caught you two sucking each other’s faces off like  _ ages _ ago.” Tony l ooked pretty proud about that .

“Nat told me.”

“You know, we’re all cool with it,” Tony’s brow furrowed with concern that he was trying to hide, trying to mask  it  with nonchalance. “You don’t have to hide it. This is a different time. Even if you don’t want the world to know, which would be totally reasonable, we’re your friends. We’re all rootin’ for you. Hell, if I’d known he was your type I’d have tried to set you guys up myself.”

“Didn’t know he was... was my type,” Steve admitted.

“Fair enough,” Tony smiled. “I mean,  _ I’d _ think twice if I had a guy like that pining after me. But seriously, Steve... There’s nothing to be ashamed for. Just no PDA at dinner time, kay? You guys are cute as hell, but I don’t want to see snogging while I’m trying to eat.”

Steve smiled at that. “Tony... thank you. Really.”

The inventor patted his hand and gave him a gentle smile. “Get some rest buddy. You can thank me by getting better.”

_ Thor. Something’s wrong. _

The urgency must have seeped into his expression, because Tony was lifting off his chair, alarmed. “Hey, Steve, what’s wrong?”

_ I have to get out of here.  _ That was all he knew. He had to get up.  _ Get up, Rogers! _

Tony would never allow that. Nobody in their right mind would allow it. Steve was already doubting himself as he thought it, but he just couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being called... He had to get Tony out of here, one way or another. “Hurts...”

“Hurts where?” Tony was scanning him, gaze settling on his cut arm.

“Chest,” Steve blurted. “Can’t breathe.” That was believable. He felt like he could barely breathe as it was.

“I’ll go get someone, hang tight,” Tony didn’t need much encouragement. He spun around and nearly tripped over the chair, racing for the door.

He was gone. There would be precious few moments to act. Steve willed his body to move, pulling his arms off the bed. They weighed a ton, and his injured one was so stiff and sore he could barely bend it. But he had to, to get the IV out of the other one. He  grit his teeth and lifted his injured arm higher. It knocked the  draining  tube first, sending shivers down his spine at the pinch. Uncomfortable. Steve dragged his hand back a little and fumbled with the tape on his skin. He was too uncoordinated to peel it free, so he just grabbed the tube and ripped it right out, stifling a gasp. Shit, that hurt...

Warm blood dribbled down his side, but he ignored it. Steve hauled his arm across his body and grabbed the IV tube, yanking that out as well. Next came the electrodes on his chest. He couldn’t quite get his fingernails under the sticky circles, so he just unclipped the wires and left the stickers on his chest. Finally, he pushed the oxygen mask off his face.

It was a lot harder to breath without it. Steve regretted his choices immediately, but he  _ knew _ he would regret  it more if he stayed here. He had to move. He’d felt like this before, a desperation that against all odds gave him the strength to do what needed to be done. So he sat up the short distance off the pillows and swung his legs onto the floor. His gown hung open at the front, and he was dressed only in his underwear, so he fumbled with the ties and covered himself up a little better. Voices and footsteps were approaching down the hallway, Tony’s urgent voice audible.

The window was open. Steve limped across the floor, painfully aware of the weight of his badly bruised body. He barely had the air to stay awake, let alone walk, but he did. He staggered to the window and wrenched it open, then pushed himself out of it. He started to drop, and opened his hand.

Mjolnir sailed by before he could fall even a foot, zipping by and swooping  him  out of the air. Steve clung on, the hammer’s urgent ringing clearing his mind of fog, it’s power seeping into his bones. It was suddenly a lot easier to breathe.

Shit, he was flying... Steve barked a laugh, and to his surprise it didn’t devolve into a cough. His arm didn’t feel quite so stiff, either. He’d felt this before, the raw energy that Mjolnir channeled. Steve set his jaw and twisted in the air, making the move before realizing he had absolutely no idea how to land this thing.

The Captain’s heels struck the top of the nearest building, and he bent his knees to absorb impact.  H is body was  still  weak and considerably less coordinated than he was used to. He let go of Mjolnir, tumbling across the hard surface and rolling to a stop. Mjolnir had landed a few feet away, denting the surface, but luckily hadn’t gone right through. Steve rose to his feet and coughed out a few breaths, hurrying to the hammer and picking it up. 

When he stood up, he saw chaos. A wind swept at his poorly-clothed body, leading away from the huge swamp of dark clouds clustered in the distance, sparking with lightning. He knew those clouds. _Thor._ His heart leapt, and he stared down at Mjolnir. If Thor was there... when why was Mjolnir here? The god wasn’t pulling on it. Steve noticed the spear of red protruding from the clouds, but it was receding – _the_ _Aether__._ Not good.

A flash of blue nearly blinded him. Steve looked away and shielded his face with his arm. When he looked back, the clouds were starting to fade, melting into the clear sky as they lifted off the ground.

_ No. _ The dread squeezed his heart again. He had to get down there.  _ I’m an idiot. A stubborn, stubborn idiot... _

He was going to need more power than this. Steve squeezed Mjolnir tightly. This wasn’t enough. He was upright, for now, but just holding the hammer wasn’t enough. He needed more.

_ I can give you more. _ Mjolnir spoke in ideas and suggestions. Steve listened. He thrust the hammer to the skies as he had seen Thor do many times, and called upon all of the god’s power.

He would never be as powerful as the true god of thunder,  but  with Mjolnir in his grip he could borrow a sizable chunk of that power. Lightning cut down from the sky, just as it had when he had called for it in the past. The familiar sparks in his veins were stronger, and he yelled as he felt his mortal weaknesses simply burned away. His lungs were cleared, his vision sharpened, and his thoughts were focused. There was strength in his muscles again, and air in his lungs. It felt like more than what the serum had ever given him.

He wasn’t  just shy of  naked anymore either. His bare feet were strapped into solid boots, his chest encased in strong leather and metal. Something blue fluttered in the corner of his eye, and Steve turned his head to spot a cape.

Okay, now he was  _ ready _ .

Steve didn’t  give himself long to admire his magical wardrobe change, but he did smile at the big silver star in the middle of his chest and the red accents decorating the armor. It was very fitting. He liked it a lot. Steve dropped the handle, sliding his hand into Mjolnir’s strap and drawing to mind what he’d seen Thor do numerous times. The hammer knew what to do, guiding his movements. Steve spun it and threw it forward, yelping with enjoyable surprise as his body shot up and into the sky. It wasn’t so different to being tucked against Thor’s body while the prince steered.

There was a lot of power to appreciate. Steve sailed toward the dissipating thunder clouds and dropped to the ground so hard he cracked the stone, but his legs didn’t suffer the impact. He looked around to gauge the battlefield, recognizing the bodies of dead elves. He searched for Thor, but couldn’t see him. The clouds were still too thick.

Luckily, there were no citizens around. Steve hopped over a smoking car and onto the grass, scanning the area. He heard the snap of Hawkeye’s bow through the other side of the storm cloud, and heard the roar of the Hulk alongside the clashes of swords.  _ I can’t just burst into  _ _ battle _ _ looking like this... _ It didn’t feel right. He hadn’t wanted his team to find out about Mjolnir, at least not like this.

A woman’s yell caught his attention, and he snapped into motion, racing toward a partially-crumbled building. He expected to find Natasha , but was met with Sif instead. As he round ed the side of the building, he saw her, desperately fending off a small group of elves that were getting the better of her. She looked exhausted, like she’d been fighting for hours. Steve picked up the pace. “Duck!” he yelled, and she had the good sense to dive down and press herself to the ground without question. He drew back his arm and hurled Mjolnir as hard as he could, and the hammer bowled down the elves on either side of her. Their bodies collapsed in the alley, hopelessly smashed, and Steve ran over, calling Mjolnir back to him.

The hammer smacked into his palm as he offered her his palm. Sif took it, breathless as she rose to her feet. But she stopped dead when she saw him, saw his face. Maybe she’d thought he was Thor for a moment, or someone else, but she  _ definitely _ hadn’t expected Steve.  _ I wouldn’t expect me either. _

“You’re here,” she was trying to growl, but couldn’t quite manage it around the surprise and mild awe.

“Against all odds, yes. Though I might get murdered for this later,” Steve nodded. “Are you okay?”

She growled at him, but it lacked any real venom. “Fine.”

“Where’s Thor?”

Sif wiped her face and pushed back a loose strand of hair. “He was fighting  Malekith . Last I saw him, he was stopping the  Aether from destroying everything. There was an explosion, and the convergence passed. I have  not  had the chance to check on him.”

Steve nodded. “Okay. Keep those guys at bay.” He pointed at the bodies on the ground, and Sif nodded, rolling her sword in her hand and flexing her free  one . There were plenty more  bad guys left. The Captain turned away and started to jog toward the darkest part of the thunder clouds, but Sif stopped him.

“Steve.” He paused and turned. Her eyes were resting on Mjolnir, but they moved up to his. Her jaw was firm. “Steve... I’m sorry. I did not know.”

It was clearly taking a lot for her to say that. Steve offered her an easy-going smile. “It’s okay. No hard feelings. You were right about me. I don’t belong in your world, and I brought the  Aether there. You weren’t wrong to be mad.”

“But I was wrong about you,” Sif growled. “Go help him. You are a good man and brave warrior. You are good for him.”

“Thank you,” Steve smiled and let her be, turning away. Thor needed him. He raced toward the dark clouds.

They were fading, but still thick and obscuring.  He waded through them, Mjolnir lifted and ready for whatever he might find.  _ Please let it be Thor... let him be okay...  _ Through the dense fog, he caught a glimpse of swirling red.  _ The  _ _ Aether _ _ . _ Steve ran. He ran into the dome of thunder clouds, bursting into a grassy clearing to find what he’d dreaded: Thor, on the ground, unmoving. A dark shape paced toward him, covered in burns but alive –  Malekith , gathering the  Aether in his palm in preparation to strike, reaching out for Thor with hungry tendrils. Steve jumped.

Thor was alive, he could tell that  much. His eyes were open and his chest was moving up and down, but he looked wiped. At the very least, he didn’t look that hurt.

Steve slid between his friend and the enemy, bashing aside the scarlet vines and squaring his jaw. The dark elves  was surprised to see him, glancing at the hammer in his hand, then up at his face. A spark of recognition flickered through his eyes.

Despite what should have been crippling injuries,  Malekith didn’t seem to be hindered at all. He seemed to be drawing strength from the  Aether somehow. Well, fine. Steve was ready for a fight, and a proper one this time. There wasn’t a hint of illness or fatigue in him, lungs drawing strong breaths and his airways completely open. Even his bruises were fading, the cut on his arm vanished. When the elf struck out with a blast of red energy, Steve met it head-on with Thor’s lightning. It streamed out of Mjolnir and shook the ground with thunder.

The  Aether exploded, then gathered again and reaching out. Steve took a step forward and blocked each strike with Mjolnir, searching for an opening. There wasn’t much to go for;  Malekith wasn’t moving much, but the  Aether was striking out in his place. There had to be some way to disable the  Aether .  _ Looks like Thor already tried that, and it didn’t work at all. _ Steve risked a glance over his shoulder and was relieved to find that Thor’s face was creased in a wince, and he was starting to sit up. He was okay.

“Steven!” God, Thor sounded worn, but surprised and a little confused.

“Keep those clouds up!” Steve yelled back.  _ Keep the fighting here, contain it.  _ It would hide him from the outside world, too. Now was not the time for them to see Captain America dressed in Asgardian armor, wielding Mjolnir.

He hoped Thor was able to do that, at least.  Apparently he was, because the thunder clouds thickened, sealing the three of them in a dome of black, illuminated by constant flashes of lightning. Steve quirked a smile and summoned a bolt with Mjolnir, whipping it down from the sky and striking  Malekith spot-on. If he couldn’t destroy the  Aether , then he would have to destroy the host. Surely there was a limit to how much damage the  Aether could sustain before the host body simply fell apart. Steve struck again, sliding in closer and smashing the enemy across the face with Mjolnir. A blow like that would have ordinarily been fatal, but  Malekith’s head simply righted, his face horribly charred and dented, but his eyes alive with darkness. The  Aether poured out of his mouth and stabbed for  Steve’s throat.

Hastily, the Captain ducked. The  Aether hissed by, curving in the air and staying on target. Steve yanked Mjolnir up to protect himself, deflecting the attack.  _ Okay, new plan. _ All this new power would keep him going for a long time, but not forever. He was still human. By the looks of things,  Malekith would be able to keep going for a long, long time. So far, he hadn’t slowed at all.

_ Get the  _ _ Aether _ _ out of him. _ Steve knew what to do. “Thor!” He took a couple of steps back and turned to his friend. The prince was rising to his feet, unsteady but brewing with determination and rage. His whole body was crackling with  internal power.  _ That’s my man. _ Thor looked up, and Steve tossed Mjolnir to him. “Keep him busy! Just for a minute or two!”

Thor didn’t question it, didn’t protest. He just caught his hammer in a sure fist and raced back into battle, bloody and dirty, but absolutely prepared to fight until his very last breath. Steve intended to make sure that was not necessary, for either of them. He stepped a few paces away from the fight and focused. 

When  Malekith had first tried to draw the  Aether from him, he’d felt their wills clash. While the substance had drained Steve, it seemed to be bolstering  Malekith . Maybe their very spirits were just too different, one being compatible, and one not so much, but there was a chance that perhaps he could take control and own the  Aether . All he needed was a second or two. If he could get it out of  Malekith and into himself, the dark elf would surely die. They could deal with the Aether then.

Thor yelled and absolutely hammered the enemy, diving in with a vicious onslaught of rapid-fire attacks. He was so fast, the definition of power, strength, and resilience. Steve smiled to himself and used the call of Mjolnir to help boost himself. Then, he reached out, feeling for the  Aether within the enemy. It was there, loud and definite. Steve grabbed onto it, and ordered it to his command.

As expected, there was resistance.  Malekith wouldn’t let go of his prized weapon so easily. But with Thor’s relentless attacks, it was difficult to hold focus and Steve got the upper hand. Not right away, but he could feel the tug-of-war slowly tip in his favor. The Captain put all his strength forward, gathering his willpower and yanking. He could feel Thor bolstering him through their connection bridged by Mjolnir, offering up everything available. Steve took it, took Thor’s strength and his own and pulled.

The  Aether submitted. It slithered out of the dark elf’s broken body and wove around Thor, aiming straight for its new, stronger host. Steve let it in, watching as it soaked through his skin and settled back into his body. The sensation was familiar, burning his veins and leaving his spirit unsettled, but this time he didn’t collapse. He stood firm and walked slowly up to  Thor’s side so they could both watch  Malekith’s devastated body give in. The dark elf  crumpled, eyes lifeless. It was over.

Thor dropped Mjolnir and turned, all the battle-borne rage draining from his face. He grinned like a big idiot, teary-eyed, and launched forward, pulling Steve into a tight hug. “You never stay down, do you,” he choked out, torn between a laugh and a sob.

“I try not to,” Steve chuckled, hugging back.

“You must be the most foolish person to ever walk this realm,” Thor breathed, running his fingers through Steve’s hair. He pulled back, grabbing the Captain’s shoulders and looking him up and down with nothing but pride and joy in his damp blue eyes. “This is incredible... I told you a cape suited you.”

“It’s not very practical,” Steve smiled, “but it’s growing on me.”

Thor laughed and wiped his eyes, then sobered slowly. “The Aether...”

“I called it back,” Steve nodded. “Now we just need to find somewhere to put it.”

“Got that covered.” Sif emerged through the clouds, walking up to them. She looked just as worn as before, sheathing her sword and holding up a small box with a handle on top. “Heimdall sent us with this. It will contain the  Aether so it can be sent somewhere safe.”

Thor took the box from her and turned to Steve. “Can you put it inside?”

“With pleasure,” Steve sighed. He wouldn’t sad to see this stuff go. The  Aether was whispering in his ear, goading him, offering power and strength unlike any he had ever experienced. With a brush of his spirit, he willed it silent. Slowly, he placed his hands on the container and focused all his attention on the task at hand, looking forward to the extraordinary date he and Thor were going to go on when they got back.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all know me, I'm not done yet.

Tony was pretty sure he was having a heart attack. Either that, or he was tripping on something pretty potent. Maybe both. 

Steve was gone. He burst back into his friend’s hospital room, only to find the bed was empty. Tubes and wires lay strewn on the bed and the floor, monitors wildly screamed, and the window hung wide open. 

“Oh my god...” the inventor ignored the nurses who had come rushing after him, shoving his head out the window and scanning the street. Nothing. Steve was gone. _ How the hell did he move? He could barely hold up a conversation. _He whirled around, thinking the worst. Surely this had to be a kidnapping, because there was no way Steve had run out of here on his own. If he had, he couldn’t have gotten far. “Get security on this!” he was practically yelling as he turned tail and pushed through the shocked medical staff. 

_ Steve, if I find you sprawled out in the hallway somewhere, I swear to god... _ Where would he go? Tony sprinted down the hallway, but there was no sign of Steve. He reached the lobby, and still there was no sign. It didn’t really make sense for someone to kidnap him... nobody knew the Avengers were in London, and certainly nobody knew about Steve’s serum problems. Surely no sensible human being smart enough to steal Captain America from a hospital without being seen would risk trying to subdue and carry a six-foot-plus stack of muscle who was stronger than pretty much every person on Earth even if he were suffering from wounds that would kill an ordinary man. 

He was spiraling, overthinking as always. Tony stood outside the main doors, staring up at the sky. He could just see splashes of black staining a gorgeous midday sky. _ Steve... you just can’t leave a fight alone, can you. Goddamn hero is _ _ gonna _ _ get himself killed. _ Where the hell else would Steve have gone but to the fight? _ He can’t have gone far in his condition. I’ll stop him before he gets there. _ “Jarvis, get me Iron Man!” 

“Your suit is already on the way, sir,” the AI calmly noted in his ear. Sure enough, a familiar red and gold shape was flying over the buildings in his direction. Tony ignored the startled citizens mingling around the entrance and raced out into the parking lot. His suit descended, opened up to accept him, and he climbed inside. 

"Get me into every camera within a ten-mile radius. Scan for Rogers.” Information immediately popped up on his display. 

“Sir, it would appear Captain Rogers has joined the fight,” the AI announced, bemused. “Another person has joined Thor in the clouds just to your left. All other nearby life signs are already allocated to Agents Barton and Romanoff, Doctor Banner, as well as Thor and his friends.” 

He was too late. Steve had already thrown himself into the fight, and would probably kill himself in the process. JARVIS diverted all power to the thrusters, aiming the suit into the bubbling storm clouds. Those clouds were actually starting to dissipate. Tony slowed his speed a little just to be safe, watching three heat signatures moving on the screen. 

There were two people just standing, watching as the third man fell. _ Steve, no. _ “Steve!” Tony erupted through the clouds into a grassy clearing, lurching to a stop and tumbling out of his suit. 

Only, Steve was standing right there, next to Thor, healthy and uninjured. _ Dressed. _ Dressed in armor, he might add, armor that looked suspiciously like Thor’s. Only the Captain’s was splashed with blue, outline d in red and white. A big silver star shone proudly on his chest. _ Where did he get that, the _ _ cape... _ All three of them stood agape, staring at each other in total silence. 

In Thor’s hand was a small box, a thin cross-section glowing an eerie red. At his feet lay a charred body. 

“That the evil elf guy you were telling me about?” Tony pointed lamely at the body. 

“Yes, that was him,” Thor nodded, caught between proud and solemn. Actually, the god looked wiped. More tired than Steve, and covered in cuts. Steve was miraculously spotless, his chest heaving with the powerful breaths Tony was used to. Actually, there was _ a lot _more power radiating from the soldier. He had a certain glow of vitality about him, but this was beyond what the serum gave him. This was... this was how Thor normally looked. 

“Did you guys kiss and exchange powers or something, like some kind of magical STD?” Tony was at a loss for words, for once in his life. “Or have I suffered massive head trauma?” 

The golden pair exchanged glances. Thor raised his eyebrows at Steve and hummed encouragingly, holding out Mjolnir. Steve stared at it hesitantly, looking across at Tony. Then he reached out and took the hammer from its owner. _Oh... Oh. How did I not see __that.__ How did I not SEE that!_

“You can’t tell the others,” Steve pleaded quietly. “Please.” 

“Why the hell not?!” Tony marched over. He was starting to put it together. _ Okay, so I wasn’t wrong. Mjolnir kidnapped him. _

“Because...” Steve thrust Mjolnir back into Thor’s hand. “Please, Tony, you just can’t. It wouldn’t be right. I’m happy with my place in the team, and I don’t want that to change.” 

How could any human being with half a heart turn down that face... Tony definitely couldn’t. His fearless leader was asking this of him, had just trusted him with a pretty big secret. _ No wonder those two are so perfect for each other... _

“How long have you known?” Tony breathed. 

“Since our final battle on Sakaar,” Thor explained, grinning proudly. “It was a glorious day.” 

“Damn, I’d have told everybody as soon as I got home,” the inventor nodded slowly, frankly impressed. “Well Steve-o, your secret’s safe with me. Your... other secret.” 

“Actually...” Steve reached out his hand and wrapped it around Thor’s, lacing their fingers. Tony had to hold in a laugh as both men immediately flushed varying degrees of pink. “I think we might just hang on to one.” 

Tony grinned. “Oh, good. You have no idea how hard it’s been to keep this to myself. Love works in mysterious ways, Spangles.” 

“That it does,” Thor chuckled. 

“So... I presume you’re not keeping that outfit on. Shame, looks good on you,” Tony remarked. “The fight’s over, right?” 

“Almost,” Thor assured. “But our friends are working to kill any remaining dark elves. They will be fine without us for a little longer. Sif and the Warriors Three can take the Aether back to Asgard.” The demi-god had fallen serious, squeezing Steve’s hand. “I do not know what will come of your body when you release your hold on Mjolnir and let its power leave you. It may not have cured your sickness, only suppressed it. We must be ready.” 

Steve blanched, but kept a strong face. “Okay.” 

“Maybe sit down,” Tony suggested, backing up to his suit. “You got him?” 

“I will return him to the hospital if need-be,” Thor nodded firmly. 

Iron Man closed around the inventor, and he watched nervously as Steve sat in the grass and focused. 

\-- 

Thor always looked so pathetic when he was sad. His big shoulders drooped, and his sudden lack of bright, boisterous energy left a painful void. Everybody was sucked up in the prince’s gloom as well as their own. 

At the very least, Tony had something to do. He had spent the past week in the lab with Bruce, relentlessly testing Steve’s blood to find a way to switch the serum back on. 

The inventor did feel a little guilty. He hadn’t been up to see Steve in days, preferring to hole up down here with his computers than have to listen to the hiss of the ventilator, and Thor’s empty sighs. Sometimes the prince cried, and everyone was certain there was more than one thing bothering him. Obvious, he was worried about Steve, who was on the verge of lung failure, his body struggling to keep itself alive as infection continued to pull it apart. Natasha had heard Thor muttering one day, whispering into the Captain’s limp hand that he couldn’t lose anyone else. 

_ What happened on _ _ Asgard _ _ that we don’t know about... _ Now seemed like a really bad time to bring it up. So, Tony stayed out of it, doing his best to help while removing himself from the situation as much as possible. 

“This might at least help the infection,” Bruce’s detached and clinical voice brought him out of his thoughts. “I’m going to go give this to him. Be right back.” The sympathetic doctor took a syringe with him and left the room. 

Tony sighed and scrubbed his face. They were back in the tower, far, far away from where this whole shit storm had started. Unfortunately, it looked as though they were far, far away from finding a solution, too. Things had gone from bad to worse so fast... It wouldn’t be as frustrating if Steve was actually improving, but he wasn’t. After Mjolnir’s power had left him, he’d basically reverted to his previous state, worryingly sick but on the mend. Everyone had agreed that he could be brought back to the tower, which Steve had been extremely happy about. Thor too. 

The prince had been right there when disaster had dashed all their hopes against the rocks. He’d yelled for Bruce, just as the Avengers tower had come into view, helpless and tearing up and just so lost. Tony’s heart had been nonstop aching for Thor. No matter how much Bruce had taught him, no matter how much of a natural Thor was with treating wounds, this was out of his league. 

The god had looked utterly defeated the few times Tony had seen him. Apparently Clint was doing his best to keep Thor busy, offering to play video games with him and tempting him out of the room with food. There was little any of them could say; Thor could stay awake the longest out of any of them, and Tony wasn’t one to talk anyway. He’d been pulling thirty-six-hour stretches consistently over this past week, sleeping only an hour or two in between each before jumping straight back into his work. Bruce wasn’t sleeping much, and Tony doubted that Natasha and Clint were well-rested either. 

“Jarvis, how are those simulations going?” Tony rolled his chair across the room to observe another holographic display, one running hypothetical tests on how the serum would respond with various stimulants. 

“So far, nothing has proven successful, sir. May I suggest you take a nap? It will take an hour or two more before I have results for you.” How come the AI _he_ had programmed was so much more sensible than him? 

“Can’t,” Tony sighed and leaned back in his chair, arms dangling off the sides. “Every second I waste is a second closer to dying Steve gets. Damn modern super bugs are destroying him.” 

“Starving yourself of rest will not help him. It will only decrease your efficiency. By my calculations, your efficiency has decreased by thirty-eight percent in the last six hours.” JARVIS sounded rather smug. 

“Using math against me...” Tony sighed. “But it won’t work, J, I gotta keep at this. We’ve gotta be close, right?” 

“I am unable to determine how close we may be.” 

Tony groaned and smacked his head on the desk. He heard Bruce open the door and step back inside. “Tell me you have some good news, Brucie,” he pleaded. 

“The infection’s spread,” Bruce replied, his voice a little too clinical. “The medicine I gave him should combat that, but his lungs are still full of fluid. The infection must have gotten into one of his cuts, weakened his immune system further. It barely had anything to fight back with in the first place without the serum.” 

“Then we just have to keep him alive until we can get it back,” Tony was more determined than ever to stay awake. “How’s Goldilocks?” 

Bruce sighed defeatedly, frowning sadly. “He’s a wreck. He’s always been so calm in the past, even when Steve takes home something on the more serious side. Something’s wrong. Beyond the obvious, I mean.” 

“Somebody’s got to talk to him,” Tony announced. “He’s running himself down to nothing. He can take more hits than all of us combined, but he’s not invincible.” 

“Then go talk to him,” Bruce gestured to the door, eying him up with a stern, responsible stare. “Go. He needs someone. If you won’t take a nap, then go do that.” 

Every cell in his body resisted the idea of going up to that room, where he would have to face Steve’s lifeless body and Thor’s damp, mourning eyes. But Bruce was right: Thor needed somebody, and they were a team, a family. It was his job to take care of them in Cap’s absence. 

“I hate when you use your ‘mom’ voice...” Tony muttered, pulling on his sweater and stalking from the room. _ Because you’re always right when you use it. _

The journey to the med bay felt like a marathon. Really, it was just around the corner from Bruce’s lab, but it felt so far away to Tony. He shivered into his sweater and willed himself to move. _ For Steve. _ Steve would want him to make sure Thor was okay. 

The demi-god very clearly wasn’t okay at all, and it made the inventor uncomfortable to face the grieving man and accept that it was his responsibility to do something. He’d never been good at the sappy stuff, the comforting making-people-feel-better shit. _ Screw you, Bruce. You talk to him. _ No, unfortunately this _ was _ his responsibility. The second he caught sight of Steve’s deteriorating body and Thor’s big drooping shoulders, he knew this was where he needed to be. 

“Hey,” Tony tried, shutting the door behind him. Where to start... “We’re gonna fix this. Make him better. He’ll be okay.” 

Thor was slouched over the Captain’s hips, his eyes lost and ringed with bruises. It didn’t look as if he’d brushed his hair since the fight, but at least he’d changed into a clean shirt since Tony had last seen him. The prince lifted his head and made eye contact, but didn’t say a word. 

Tony pulled up a chair and tentatively sat down, glancing down at his trembling hands. He was tired, even more-so just by looking at the devastated Asgardian. “Look, I know you want to help. Hell, I hate being useless too, I get it. But you’re not doing him any favors by wearing yourself out.” 

“Doctor Banner informed me you have not been much better,” Thor rasped, sitting up and arching his back. A few vertebrae popped loudly. Tony winced at the sound and the accusation. 

“I’ve got a cure to find,” he reasoned. “If Bruce manages to get this infection under control, and Steve starts to pull through, he’ll need you in good shape to take care of him. You can’t do that if you’re exhausted.” Why was it so much easier to give out advice than to take it? “And if we find a way to switch the serum back on, who knows how long it’ll take before he’s back to normal. He’ll still need you then.” 

Thor stared at him, oddly static for a few moments until Tony noticed the tears welling in the prince’s eyes. He was fighting them, struggling to hold himself together, detach from reality and steel his heart. Tony stood up, his own tears of desperation starting to twist at his weary spirit. He was almost too tired to hold them in. _ Almost. _ The inventor walked around the bed and placed his hand on Thor’s bulky shoulder, hesitant for his own sake. _ God, that’s so stupid. He needs it. To hell with what makes me uncomfortable. _Surely he could give this small gesture at the very least. 

“I promise you, with my life and my entire fortune, that Steve will get through this,” Tony breathed, firm and sincere. “If Earth were mine to give, I’d swear on that too. We are _ not _ going to lose him. You want to help? Come down to the lab, crash on the couch. When you wake up, I’ll have a task for you to do. Nat and Clint can stay with Steve.” 

Thor was shaking under the hand, picking up one of Steve’s and rubbing his fingers around the knuckles. A couple of tears dripped off his cheeks, but he quickly wiped them away. When he spoke, his voice was quiet, barely holding back the waterfall. “I’m scared.” 

_ Oh god. _ Tony squeezed Thor’s shoulder, holding onto his own tears as tightly as he could. Shit, this was heartbreaking. He wasn’t equipped for this. “Me too,” he whispered. “But we’re gonna kick this bug’s ass, okay? You’ll be throwing each other around on the mats in no time.” A burst of aggressive, confident energy overtook him. Tony grabbed Thor’s other shoulder and turned the god around, pointing in his face with unwavering finger. “I fix stuff. That’s what I do. I make things work. I invented a goddamn element, I ever tell you that? If I have to invent another one, I sure as hell will.” 

“Stark...” 

“The only,” Tony grinned proudly. 

Thor stood up, towering over the inventor and wrapping the smaller man in a tight bear hug. Tony wheezed as the god buried his face in his shoulder and sobbed. It sounded like there was a thank-you in there somewhere, but it was hard to tell. 

After a little while, Thor managed to get himself under control, his breaths evening out but his arms still firmly in place. “Mother is dead,” he whispered. “As is Loki.” 

Oh. Tony wriggled his arms free and awkwardly wrapped them around the god, giving him a few pats on whatever part of his back he could reach. “I’m sorry.” 

“I know my brother has harmed you in the past,” Thor shook his head, “I understand if this may come as joyous news. But know that I loved him.” 

“I know,” Tony breathed. “Shit, Thor, nobody would blame you for missing him.” 

“He helped us a great deal,” Thor nodded, swallowing roughly and sniffing. “He protected Steve, saved both our lives. He died a noble death. So did mother. I have mourned them for too long already.” 

“Sounds like you didn’t get much time to,” Tony reasoned. “Give yourself whatever time you need.” 

If he squeezed any tighter, the god would definitely snap the inventor in half. “Thank you, Tony.” 

“Don’t mention it Goldilocks,” Tony smiled. 

“I cannot lose him too,” Thor pulled back, finally, fear lingering in his eyes. “Please, Tony, I cannot.” 

“You won’t.” Tony patted Thor’s solid bicep. “I won’t let him get away from us that easy, and neither will you. Now come on, we had an agreement.” 

Thor smiled and wiped his eyes, nodding. 

“Agent Romanoff and Agent Barton are on their way,” JARVIS announced. 

“Good. See? He’ll be fine without us for a few hours,” Tony strode for the door, feeling pretty damn pleased with himself. 

\-- 

Thor passed out the second his face touched the sofa cushions. His snores were oddly stimulating as the two scientists sat down to get some work done. 

“Told you I could do it,” Tony smirked, dropping into his chair and gliding past Bruce with his arms spread. 

The doctor didn’t look up, but quirked a smile as he focused on his data. 

“I told the big guy he could help when he wakes up,” Tony explained as he pulled some running tests onto his main monitor. “Something so he feels like he’s helping. What you got for me?” 

“Well, I could get him monitoring some of these samples I have,” Bruce pointed at a row of test tubes and a microscope. Then he frowned and drew back his arm, slowly looking across his monitors. “Tony... the serum is kickstarting itself.” 

“What?” the inventor sprung from his chair and hurried over to have a look. Sure enough, the enlarged images of Steve’s cells from the most recent blood sample were changing: the serum was fighting off the infection. 

“It’s slow,” Bruce zoomed in. “Only a very small fraction of Steve’s cells are fighting back, but they’re doing it on their own. I haven’t added a catalyst to this sample yet. See? There’s the antibiotic I just gave him,” the doctor pointed up at the display. 

“So he’ll get better on his own,” Tony breathed, putting a hand to his forehead. “How long?” 

“I can’t confirm either of those statements,” Bruce took off his glasses and looked over. “Tony... this could take weeks at this rate. I can’t even tell if it’s spreading, either. We need to keep looking for a way to stimulate the serum.” 

_ Stimulate... _ Tony mused over the word and returned to his chair, staring at the various holographic renditions of Steve’s cells floating around the room, then down at Thor’s comatose form. _ Steve probably pushed massive amounts of energy through his body when he picked up Mjolnir and channeled its power like that. The amount of energy that had to pass through him to undo all that damage in one go must have been pretty staggering. I bet that’s what kick-started the serum. _

“You’ve got that look on your face like you’ve figured something out,” Bruce queried, as Tony came out of his internal dialogue. 

_ I promised not to tell. _ The inventor nodded, waving a hand. “Maybe. Keeping working on those antibiotics.” Bruce might not approve of suggesting they have Thor blast Steve with all the lightning he had: it would be dangerous, and there was no way Tony could explain how he knew Steve could take it without giving away what the Captain had entrusted him with. _ Always _ _ gotta _ _ make it so hard for me, hey Cap? _

\-- 

Clint came down a few hours later with food for all three of them. He glanced at Thor, who hadn’t moved since dropping dead there earlier. “I don’t think he’s slept since the jet,” the archer commented quietly. “You guys any closer?” 

Tony shrugged, but couldn’t keep a grin off his face. “Steve’s fightin’ it on his own. And we might have a way to help. The serum is active in less than one percent of his cells, but it’s working.” 

“That’s great,” Clint smiled, setting down a plate of sandwiches and a pot of coffee in the middle of the room. 

“How is he?” Bruce straightened and walked over, grabbing a sandwich and taking a bite with restrained eagerness. 

“The same,” Clint shrugged. “Nat’s reading him a book.” 

Bruce nodded approvingly, but before he could make some annoyingly wise comment about unconscious people being somewhat aware, Thor snorted loudly into the couch and let loose a low groan. The other three men all paused to watch as the prince rose from his nap like a zombie, clothes ruffled and hair sticking up, and trudged to the sandwiches with sleepy eyes. He didn’t say a word as he yawned, then stuffed a sandwich in his mouth. 

Tony grinned. “Rise and shine, Rapunzel, I have a job for you.” 

Thor swallowed his sandwich, immediately awake. Bruce cast Tony a curious glance, but the inventor waved it off and gestured for the door. Thor followed with long strides, broad chest puffed out and his eyes alive. 

_ Look out, defender of love coming through. _


	12. Chapter 12

Tony wasn’t explaining, so Thor didn’t ask. They left behind the others and strode right into Steve’s room. Natasha looked up, a few chapters into _ Pride and Prejudice _. Her concern and excitement were visible. 

“That’s the look of a breakthrough,” she raised an eyebrow at Tony’s face. 

“I make no promises,” Tony shrugged. “Mind if we have a minute?” 

“Of course,” Natasha closed the book and stood up, giving Steve’s fingers one last squeeze before walking out. She brushed Thor’s arm as she passed, shutting the door behind her. 

Now, they were alone. 

Thor was almost crackling with anticipation, ready to help in any way possible. “Tony, what have you discovered?” 

The inventor held up his hands, eyes alight with revelation. “Okay. A small percent of the serum in Steve’s body Is active. I think your hammer jumpstarted it. When he picked it up and used it to tap into your power, it temporarily cured his pneumonia. Imagine how much energy had to go through him to do that. I’m not just talking electrical current, I’m talking whatever kind of magical energy is capable of undoing ailments like that. If we can get enough energy into Steve’s body, we should be able to switch on the rest of the serum.” 

Thor processed the information slowly, reaching out and grounding himself by squeezing the Captain’s ankle. “Steven cannot wield Mjolnir in this state,” he quietly noted. “Unless he could be woken. Even then, he may not be aware enough to summon its full power.” 

“I don’t think he could do it,” Tony shook his head. “But he doesn’t need to; you do it. This is _ your _ power. If you use yourself as a battery and flood Steve with everything you have, it might be enough. At the very least, it would get enough of the serum going to stop the infection and heal him.” 

Thor looked down at Steve’s lax face and felt like he was going to cry again. This time, it wasn’t out of sorrow. This was going to work, it had to. His eyes carried on to where he’d left Mjolnir, sat on the table by the bed. Then he looked back at Tony, a smile breaking through his lingering sadness. “Tell me what I must do.” 

Tony smiled back with larger-than-life confidence. Sometimes the inventor’s ego could be infuriating, but today it was just what the prince needed. 

\-- 

Thor always tried to keep his expectations realistic, but it was difficult not to daydream about cuddling up with Steve in his bedroom, their limbs woven together and their heartbeats in sync. It was all he wanted, and all he could think about as Tony scampered around the room with various equipment, some of which looked homemade. Then again, pretty anything in this tower was technically ‘homemade’ - the inventor could build anything, and very often did. 

“J, keep an eye on Cap’s vitals. Let us know if anything goes wrong,” Tony ordered, even though Thor knew neither of them were going to be ignoring them. The inventor pulled out a pair of sunglasses and slipped them on. The lights dimmed, and Thor wrapped his fingers around Mjolnir’s handle. 

It was vibrating softly in his palm, almost not enough to be noticeable. He turned Steve’s hand and settled the ancient Asgardian weapon into it, curling the fingers around the grip. He could feel the most minute feedback singing to him, a weak but distinct spirit offering up muddled sentiments. _ Steve... _ Steve was in there somewhere, maybe not aware of his surroundings, at least not much, but searching for Thor. The prince pushed back, letting the Captain know he was here. Immediately, relief overpowered anything else Steve might have been feeling. _ I have you. Listen to me. Tony has found a way to fix this. Soon this will be over, I promise. _

Could he promise that? Probably not, but it didn’t matter. Steve only needed to know that he was going to be okay, one way or another. Preferably _ this _ way. Thor grabbed the Captain’s other hand and leaned over his body. He willed all his power to the surface, and Tony took a step back. 

Just like they’d practiced a few minutes ago with a light bulb, Thor pushed his power out through one hand and let it flow back into the other, completing the circuit. Only here, Steve was the resistor, dissipating energy as it was used up by his serum-enhanced cells. The god of thunder started slow, and stared up at the monitors; there was a slight jump in pulse, but nothing more, and nothing worrisome. He added a little more energy. 

It took a torturous ten minutes to ramp up to full power. Finally, Thor looked over at Tony, and the inventor gave the nod. The prince squeezed Steve’s hand, squeezed Mjolnir, and gave it everything he had. Steve’s body arched, lightning crackling under his skin and fingers unconsciously clutching Mjolnir. A burst of wild emotion rippled through their connection, and Thor listened for pain or distress. There was none. He kept going, crackling himself. The room shook. 

“Sir, Doctor Banner is leaving the lab. He is questioning me for an explanation as to your actions. It appears the others are also mildly distressed,” JARVIS supplied. 

“Keep them out!” Tony ordered. “We have to keep at it. Thor, how much more can you zap him with?” 

“As much as is needed,” the god replied confidently. Steve was enduring it, and Thor could feel his body absorbing the energy like a sponge in water. So he kept going. 

There were literal storm clouds brewing in the room. Tony had ducked against the door, wearing his rubber-soled boots and watching in awe. Thor grinned and yelled, ecstatic as he felt Steve’s vitality lacing with his. He pushed his limits further, holding up the current until Tony shouted at him to stop. 

The prince let go, pulling Mjolnir from Steve’s fingers and setting it on the floor. Tony rushed over, tucking his sunglasses into his shirt and scanning his unconscious friend top to bottom. Thor grabbed a limp hand and squeezed, breathing a little heavier than usual but glowing with hope and happiness. Steve’s skin was warmer to the touch, and both of them caught the brief flicker of their leader’s eyelids. 

“I’ll go get Bruce,” Tony breathed, swirling on his heels before Thor could stop him and thank him. 

The Asgardian submitted to shaking legs and sank into the bedside chair, pushing hair from his forehead with one hand while squeezing one of Steve’s with the other. The Captain looked a little less unconscious and little more asleep. Thor smiled wearily and stroked Steve’s soft, spiky hair, rubbing his thumb up and down his forehead. Drained but happy, the prince pushed off his chair so he could press a kiss into the Captain’s closed eyelids. Then, he sat back down, dropped his head to the mattress, and fell asleep. 

\-- 

_ I had a date... _

Steve gradually became aware of his own body, of the mattress beneath him, the blankets on top of him, and the sensation that there were things in him that weren’t meant to be there. Worst of all, was the familiar sensation that he had been asleep for longer than he should have. His muscles felt dead and too heavy to lift themselves, and his vision was blurry when he opened his eyes. 

Shit, where was he? 

There was music playing somewhere nearby, underlined by a soft, intermittent rumble. Steve squinted, trying to at least decide if he recognized the ceiling. It took a painfully long time before he could gather enough cognizant thought to try and put things together for himself. His mind was a little cloudy, but he could at least determine that those were his feet way down there. 

The rumbling was broken up by a snort. Steve turned his head to have a look, wincing as the tube in his throat shifted. 

Even as a blurry blob, there was no mistaking Thor’s hefty shoulders filling into a black shirt, golden hair falling in wavy locks around his face. As Steve’s vison cleared, he could make out his friend’s slouched posture, head tipped back and his mouth hanging open as he snored. One hand was wrapped tightly around Steve’s fingers, despite the loose posture of the god. 

Steve moved his hand, or tried to at least. He was very tired, and probably full of drugs by the looks of that IV bag hanging in the corner of his eye and the cotton stuffed in his skull. Therefore, it was difficult to move his fingers from their trap, and get Thor’s attention. He certainly couldn’t say anything, though he tried just for the sake of it. 

New plan. Even though it was vastly uncomfortable, Steve tipped his head to the other side in the hopes of finding someone else in the room who was awake. There was no-one. 

_ JARVIS knows... _ he knew that, at least. The AI was probably keeping an eye on him. If Thor was here, and they were in the tower, then Tony was here too. _ Tony... m’ so sorry I scared you... _ He’d recklessly escaped from his hospital room that day... _ How many days ago was that? _

Something metal caught his eye. Steve spotted a large, rectangular shape sitting on the table just beyond the range of motion of his neck. But he knew exactly what it was. Maybe Thor would hear him that way. It was difficult, but with enough determination he gathered his senses and focused on Mjolnir’s tug, feeding back with a gentle nudge. The hammer wobbled on the desk as if in greeting, receiving the transmission and alerting him that it could be summoned to his hand if he wanted it. All he wanted was Thor. Steve could feel that other tendril of intent reaching out for the Asgardian, ready to latch on to his will when the god was ready. 

Thank goodness Steve had already had lots of practice communicating with Thor this way; it made reaching out half-drunk on drugs a little easier, like a second nature. He pushed his thoughts through the hammer, managing to draw together concrete words backed by strong feelings: _ Thor... wake up. Wake up. _ God, what did he say? He had no idea what had happened between letting go of Mjolnir’s power and now. Obviously, something fairly serious. _ M’okay _ _ . _ No, no he definitely wasn’t. _ Relatively, I mean- _

“Steve.” Thor shifted in his chair, standing up and leaning over. Hands grabbed his face. The prince was smiling, letting go only so he could tuck some hair behind his ear before reaching back and stroking the Captain’s cheeks. “Steve, you’re awake.” 

A couple of tears dripped onto his face. _ Hey, don’t cry... I’m getting better, right? Right? _

Thor nodded and wiped his eyes bashfully. “Yes. Doctor Banner recently came to give you some more medicines and informed me that your serum is working completely again. It may take some time to work the infection from your body, and your lungs are still draining, but you have recovered much since even last evening.” 

_ How long have I been... here? _ Did he want to know? 

“A week, give or take,” Thor replied quietly, leaning a little closer and pressing a warm, relieved kiss into Steve’s forehead. “Everyone will be very pleased to know you are awake. They have all been worried.” 

_ Sorry... _

“It is no fault of yours,” Thor rubbed his cheeks with his thumbs. “Bruce will be here soon, Steve. Perhaps we can remove some of these machines. I have very much missed kissing your lips.” 

_ Hold your horses, you’ll get whatever you can handle the minute I’m on my own two feet. _His body still felt like lead, but his brain was waking up. And he always had time to flirt back and forth with this big blonde golden retriever. 

“I look forward to it a great deal,” Thor chuckled. Then he glanced up. “Here comes the doctor.” 

The doctor and company. Bruce approached the bed, and Steve could just make out a few more blurry figures hanging back. He heard Natasha’s soft greeting, followed by Clint’s agreement. Tony, however, walked right up, and Steve knew him right away by the warm glow of the arc reactor in the middle of his chest, before his features were close enough to discern. 

“Hey Steve, we’ll have you up and kickin’ in no time,” Tony smiled and rubbed his shoulder with a fondness that gave away the severity of the situation. Obviously things had been pretty bad if the inventor was this openly intimate. “Clint made you some rice pudding. And I got you a jar of honey. Nature’s medicine.” he held up a jar and spoon proudly. 

Bruce gently nudged Tony aside so he could get to some of the machines, making eye contact. The doctor looked enormously relieved too. “Glad to see you’re awake, Steve. Your vitals look good. Thor, hold him steady. I’m going to extubate.” 

It was not a pleasant experience, but Steve had to say it was good to be free of the tube. He licked his lips and patiently watched Bruce tuck the nasal cannula in place. The flush of oxygen immediately eased the strain on his recovering lungs and airways. 

Thor had his hand, and Tony was pushing a spoonful of honey into his mouth as Bruce came back around. “There’s still a lot of infection to flush out,” the doctor explained professionally, though Steve could see a pleased brightness under that outer layer. “You need rest, and lots of it. You’re not allowed to leave this room, or get out of bed unless I give you express permission. Do you understand?” 

Steve glanced between the worried, pleading faces leaning over him and nodded slowly. 

“Good. Then rest up,” Bruce smiled and backed up. “I’ll get you some more antibiotics.” The doctor took his leave, making room for Clint and Natasha. 

“Clint’s lost his edge since you left,” Natasha teased, wrapping her hand around his ankle. “You need to kick him into shape as soon as you’re up for it.” 

“Hey,” Clint nudged her, passing a bowl and spoon to Thor. “You had better be nice to me, Cap, or the next pudding I make you will have super-soldier laxatives in it.” 

Thor and Steve both smiled as the prince put a spoonful of warm pudding into the Captain’s mouth. The flavor was mild but sweet, and the texture soothing on his sore throat. He opened his mouth to give complements to the chef, but Clint held up his hands and shook his head. “Don’t mention it.” 

“Romanoff, poison me so Clint will make me some of that,” Tony grinned, screwing the lid back on the honey jar and setting it on the table next to Mjolnir. 

“Maybe if you ask nicely and admit that Die Hard is better than Blade Runner, I will,” Clint smirked. 

Thor was in uproar before Tony could protest. “They are not comparable!” he exclaimed, putting down the spoon so he could gesticulate. “The tones are completely different!” 

“But Die Hard is _ better,” _Clint explained. 

“Blade Runner is a cult classic,” Tony interjected. “Die Hard is an excellent action film, but in terms of influence it doesn’t compare to Ridley Scott’s masterpiece. The practical effects are stunning, the music is perfect-” 

“But it’s _ slow,” _ Clint tried. “Ugh, you guys are so weird. I’m picking a James Bond movie for our next team night.” 

“I have heard many great tales of this franchise!” Thor agreed eagerly, holding another spoonful of pudding to Steve’s lips. Natasha squeezed the Captain’s ankle and they both met eyes, smiling at each other through the heated discussion. 

“Great! Let’s make it happen,” Clint clapped his hands. “Cap, soon as you’re cleared for movie-watching duty, we’ll sit down and enjoy some Pierce Brosnan classics. One where they shoot lots of German bad guys.” Steve would like that very much, and said as much with a nod. 

The group slowly trickled out of the room, bidding their goodbyes. Thor stayed, patiently spoon-feeding him as much rice pudding as he could manage. It was good, and he was hungry. The serum was working. Bruce returned with a syringe, pushing medicine into his IV line and doing a few more checks before taking his leave as well. 

The bowl was empty. Thor reached over and left it on the table, leaning back with a glass of water instead. He put the rim to Steve’s lips and gradually tipped it. “How are you feeling?” 

Steve swallowed his water and coughed to clear his scratchy throat. His voice still came out raspy and quiet. “Sore, tired.” 

“I would imagine,” Thor smiled and put down the glass. “But, it will pass. Rest. I will be here.” 

That was an offer he couldn’t resist. Steve shifted his hand off the mattress and wrapped his fingers around the prince’s shirt. “C’mere and send me off.” 

Thor had nothing to say to that, but he looked very pleased as he leaned over and wrapped a supporting hand behind the Captain’s head. Their lips met, and Steve had no strength to give, but that was fine; the demi-god was gentle as always, and content to do the work. They kissed until Steve was too tired to keep his eyes open. 

\-- 

When Steve woke up, Tony was at his side, fiddling with something on his phone. The inventor looked up as Steve shifted in bed and brought himself around. 

“Hey buddy,” Tony put down his phone and produced a bowl of yogurt. “Thor went to shower and change. I told him to sleep in a bed for a few hours, and the idiot finally listened. You two are too perfect for each other, you know.” 

Steve smiled and lifted his IV-free arm so he could rub his eyes clear. He felt a lot stronger than yesterday, not to mention more awake. His thoughts and vision were both sharper. 

“Lookin’ better,” Tony held up the spoon. “Bruce said if you keep going at this rate, he’ll let you out of here by the evening. Clint’s already picking a movie. If you feel up to it, of course. 

Steve let Tony feed him, and the inventor did so without complaint, calmly spooning yogurt into the soldier’s mouth as fast as he could eat it. Steve nodded. “Feel good.” 

“Sound better, too,” his friend agreed matter-of-factly. “I brought you a shirt. Bruce said he’ll get you off the IV and chest drain at lunch time. Serum’s really kicking that virus’ ass.” 

“How’d you do it?” Steve swallowed his yogurt. 

“Oh, I didn’t do anything,” Tony shrugged, stirring the blueberry substance nonchalantly. “Your boyfriend did all the work. I just pointed him in the right direction, and he zapped the life back into you, long story short. Gave the serum the energy it needed to get working again.” 

“Thank you,” Steve smiled. “For looking after him.” 

“Yeah, well, his teary eyes were getting kind of annoying,” Tony brushed it off, offering up another mouthful of yogurt. “So get your ass better so I don’t have to hear the big guy cry like that again, deal? He’s loud.” 

“Got a big chest, he can’t help it,” Steve flushed. 

“I’ll let him off this time,” Tony scraped the bowl clean and held out one last spoonful before setting the utensils aside. “In all seriousness though, Steve, we’re glad you’re getting better. It was real tense around here while you were gone, and we didn’t know what was going on up there. Then Thor called me and said you were in the hospital... Don’t ever scare us like that again. I’ve got a bad heart as it is.” 

“Tony...” Steve licked his lips. There was no way he could justify himself, and no guarantees to give. “I’ll try.” 

“Best I could ask for,” the inventor nodded, his cheeriness returning. “You need anything?” 

“To be honest...” Steve fiddled with the hem of the blanket. “I’m still pretty hungry.” 

“Done,” Tony stood up. “How’s your throat?” 

“Good.” 

“Right, toast it is. I’ll be right back.” 

“Tony,” Steve reached out his hand, but he couldn’t quite reach. The inventor closed the distance and let the Captain’s fingers wrap around his wrist, staring down curiously. “Tony, can I ask you a favor?” 

“What do you think I’ve been doing this past week?” Tony smirked. “Shoot.” 

“I need...” Steve flushed again. “I need help. Told Thor I’d take him on a date... but I have no idea what to do.” 

Tony nodded knowingly and pushed Steve’s hand into his stomach. “I’ll give you a few moves to use, old man. Meet me in my workshop tomorrow morning. I’ll get everything sorted out. You know where you want to take him?” 

“Thanks,” Steve replied quietly. “Yeah... the beach.” 

“Nice, super romantic. I underestimated you,” Tony pointed in approval. “I’ll be right back with your toast. Hang tight.” 

\-- 

Clint picked _ The World is Not Enough, _ Natasha made sure there were plenty of snacks for everyone, and Bruce let Steve out of bed ahead of schedule. He entrusted Thor with a bottle of antibiotics and administration instructions, and disconnected Steve from the remainder of his machines. A few tests later, Thor and Tony were helped him get his legs to the floor and supporting his weight. The serum had started to put his lost muscle mass back on, but it was still jarring to look down at a body that was too slender. 

“Here,” Tony leaned him against the bed and picked up some folded clothes from the chair. Thor helped him exchange standard white hospital pants for some jogging pants, a shirt, and a warm hoodie. By that time, Steve felt much more stable, so Tony took the lead and left him with just Thor at his side. 

It took a few steps to get used to walking again, but by the time he worked the stiffness from his joints, he was making small but consistent strides with Thor’s support keeping him balanced. It felt too good to be on his feet and moving, even though his body was still weak, and his lungs not quite recovered. By the time they all reached the common room, he was out of breath. 

Nothing could make him happier, though; Steve blushed, hopelessly embarrassed no matter how endeared he was by his friends’ cheerful greetings and comments toward his recovery. They’d left a space for him and Thor on the couch, prepared dinner and drinks and left them easily within reach on the coffee table, and generally made sure he would be comfortable. Everyone got seated, Clint got the disk in the player, and JARVIS dimmed the lights. Succumbing to his desires, Steve leaned sideways and cuddled tightly against Thor’s ribs. The prince wrapped an arm around his shoulders and drew him closer, kissing the top of his head. Steve blushed deeper in the darkness, and heard Clint whispering to Natasha. 

“_ What?” _

“How could you not notice?” she whispered back, and Steve heard restrained laughter fighting to burst out. “Oh my god... you’re a moron.” 

There, the secret was out. Steve decided he didn’t mind so much. The team really didn’t seem to care at all, at least not in an objection. That was worth a lot more to the Captain that he’d thought it would. He smiled and focused on the movie. 

As always, Clint had made a good choice. Steve enjoyed the film immensely, but by the time it was over he was ready for bed. Bruce kindly offered to clean up, and the others pitched in, leaving Thor to hook one perfect arm around Steve’s waist and guide him unscrutinized for the elevator. They ended up in Thor’s room, sprawled on the huge bed staring at the big coral reef painting, shoulders pressed together. 

“How about those kisses you promised me?” Steve turned his head and rolled sideways, hopefulness peeking out behind his smirk. 

“I believe it was _ you _ who promised _ me _ those kisses,” Thor replied, turning on his side. “But if you insist, I could hold you to that tomorrow, when you can keep your eyes open for more than five minutes.” 

“Is that a challenge?” Steve shifted a little closer. 

“I would take no pleasure in an easy victory against you,” Thor grinned, and JARVIS knowingly dimmed the lights as the god pushed Steve onto his back and crouched on top of him, hands planted firmly on either side of his head. 

“Shame, cus you’d win pretty easily at the moment,” Steve licked his lips. “Might as well take advantage of it while you can.” 

“I fear you could not handle my strength at this time,” Thor leaned closer. 

“Telling me I can’t kinda makes me want to prove you wrong,” Steve grabbed a handful of Thor’s shirt and yanked him closer. Though the sickness was still impeding his breathing, it was back, strengthening his muscles just like before the Aether had tampered with it. Thor was taken by satisfying surprise, but quickly recovered, bringing their lips together. He started slow, quickly picking up the pace as Steve kept up. 

They fell asleep under rumpled sheets, sweaty and breathless, but pleased. It had been too damn long. 

\--

Steve woke up face-down on the pillows. Damn, he’d slept good... his body felt revitalized. The room smelled like butter and bacon. He groaned and pushed himself off the mattress, turning his head and coming face-to-face with Thor.

The prince was kneeling by the bed, folded arms pressing into the mattress and his cheek rested on top. He was peering fondly into Steve’s bleary eyes, hair damn and skin pink from a recent shower. He hadn’t put a shirt on yet. “Good morning,” he smiled cheerfully. “You look well.”

Steve sat up, the blanket falling off his bare shoulders. He sat cross-legged and rubbed his eyes to clear them of sleep, yawning and stretching. A cough shook his chest, and though still wet, it was mild and unthreatening.

Thor held up a finger and stood up, backing out of the room and disappearing for a few moments. Steve watched him go, running his fingers through his hair and trying to smooth it down. It wasn’t going to behave, not without a shower.

The prince wasn’t long, carrying in a tray covered in food and orange juice.

“How late is it?” Steve’s eyes widened as Thor plopped on the end of the bed and set the tray between them.

“Not very,” Thor picked up the bottle of pills Bruce had given him and tipped a capsule into his palm, handing it over with some orange juice. “Late for you. But you needed the sleep.”

Steve swallowed his pill and admired the spread before him. He was back to his usual caloric intake, and Thor had clearly taken that into account given the amount of bacon present. He’d also made a  _ lot _ of French toast, all of it dusted with a meticulous layer of icing sugar. 

“Clint taught me how to make them, but I doubt they will be as good as his,” Thor scratched his beard. There was icing sugar in it. Steve smirked and reached up to brush it away.

“Let me be the judge of that,” the Captain replied.

Thor was slow to give himself credit sometimes. He was an attentive learner when he wanted to be, and a good cook. This was no different. They ate in silence enjoying the plentiful meal until every last bit of it was gone.

“Bruce has asked to see you in his lab,” Thor explained when they were finished, gathering the tray and standing up. “Then the day is ours.”

“Meet you in the gym?” Steve lifted his eyebrows.

The demi-god grinned. “Of course.”

\--

Bruce only had a few brief checks to do before proclaiming that Steve was well on his way to perfect health, and that if he kept taking his antibiotics, the infection would be completely gone in a few days.

That meant Steve had a few days to plan out this perfect date. He left the lab and went straight to find Tony as agreed. The inventor was waiting for him in his workshop, smugly turning his chair and smirking up at the Captain.

“Greeting, Cap. Ready to learn from the master?”

No, he wasn’t ready. That face was scaring him. But Steve nodded obediently.

“Good.” the inventor stood up. “In three  days’ time, you and your beloved will leave the tower and get in a white Audi A6. Happy will take you to a private section of beach, but during the car ride you’ll have plenty of time to charm each other and such. You will wear a collared shirt, a third of the buttons undone. Between the tower and the beach, you will have opened every single button. Clear?”

“Uh... yes,” Steve squinted, blushing already as he looked down at his t-shirt. 

“Sunscreen,” Tony held up a bottle. “I’m pretty sure neither of you need it, but you get to rub it on each other. None of that spray shit.” He thrust over the container and Steve took it, examining the label out of habit and wondering if he really would burn. If he did, it would probably only take a few hours to heal anyway.

The inventor wasn’t done, picking a cooler off the floor. “Make a lunch. You know what the big guy likes. There’s some money in there for the ice cream place nearby. Make sure you definitely get some on your nose. It’s cute as hell.”

Steve wondered how many of these little tips were drawn from personal experience. Probably all of them. He nodded, knowing he would remember every single one of these frantic details with the help of the serum.

“There’s a small island just off-shore. The two of you could definitely swim to it,” Tony explained. “There’s some trees, lots of birds and wildlife. Good place for a walk. When the sun goes down, take him for a walk along the shoreline. The colors are pretty romantic, and you can see the stars really well.”

This didn’t sound too hard. Steve could do all those things.

“At nine, Happy will come to collect you,” Tony continued. “He’ll take you to a restaurant. I’ve reserved a floor and picked a menu. Nobody will bother you guys up there. Eat, get a little tipsy, then call Happy when you’re ready to go home. After that, the rest is up to you.” he shrugged. “Show him a good time, that’s about all I can say.”

Steve stared at the cooler, at a loss for words, already trying to think of what he should do when he and Thor got back to the tower. Tony was right, though, he couldn’t ask for advice on that. Their bedtime routine was private, and probably nothing like what the famous playboy used to get up to back in his heyday.

“Hey pal, relax, you’ll do fine,” Tony chuckled. “The hard part’s over. He’s already hopelessly in love with you, so you don’t have to worry about that. Just be you. Smile, laugh, talk about stuff you like, ask him about stuff he likes. Just like what you guys have been doing since you first laid eyes on each other. Hell, you’re better at all that than I am.”

Steve smiled, upturning his eyebrows. Tony was right, he was overthinking this. He and Thor had always clicked, and there was no need to put on an act. The only thing he could have ever asked Tony for was advice about venue, and the inventor had gone above and beyond. Steve lurched forward and wrapped the smaller man in a tight hug,  eliciting a wheeze from him. “Thanks, Tony.”

“Okay, okay yeah, any time,” was the wheezing reply. Steve let go bashfully. Tony smoothed out his shirt and handed over the empty cooler, still grinning away. “Get better, Steve, then go have fun and don’t tell me a word about it when you get back, got it? I don’t want to know.”

Steve chuckled. “Okay. Thanks again.”

“Any time, soldier,” Tony saluted.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I added a couple extra paragraphs to the last chapter. I wanted to wrap things up, but I couldn't think of enough stuff to make its own chapter.
> 
> As always, I'm open to story suggestions! It can be a continuation of this series, something stand-alone, or just something you'd like to see in the future. It might take a me a while longer to put something new out because school has started, but I will be thinking of new ideas.
> 
> As always, thank you for your support of my work! Now here's the artwork from this story, plus something new <3


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